We have heard the story of King Midas. Everything this King touched is said to have turned to gold. We seem to have a similarly gifted minister - the Minister of Commerce etc, etc. The trouble is that everything this minister touches turns into a mess. Take the case of rice. The minister, raving and ranting against rice mill owners and threatening severe action in order to get them to tow the line on rice prices, and his decision to import rice in order to keep rice prices under control, and in doing so, teach the mill owners a lesson, are still fresh in our minds. And the outcome? It was we consumers who learnt the lesson, having to pay Rs. 50/- plus for a kilo of rice. The beneficiaries of imported rice were the "commis kakkas".

The other issue is that of Sathosa. From day one, the minister had a grouse against this privatised organization. He claimed that the previous government had sold this or a part of this venture for a pittance. In response, the private purchaser offered to sell back the venture to the government for the same pittance it had paid. The minister’s bluff was called and he has been silent on the issue since. Meanwhile, the Welisara branch of Sathosa, under privatization, was blooming into a popular supermarket, very well stocked and with all commodities selling at very reasonable and affordable prices. However, with the minister playing "pandu", this outlet which was doing a great service to customers of all ranks of life, appears to have lost its enthusiasm. Gradually shelves at this outlet are becoming bare. Popular Sathosa brands of products are no longer available. The vegetable section, which was a boon to the common masses, has been closed down. The number of customerm at this store has dropped very significantly, and the general atmosphere around this outlet is one of gloom. Even the rows of trolleys provided for the convenience of customers are no more. When I visited it last, a group of employees were soliciting signatures from the public, calling for this outlet to be taken over by the government.

Now it is the wheat flour issue. This ‘brave’ minister took up arms against the Prima giant and taught it a lesson by withdrawing the government subsidy paid to it as well as broke its monopoly on wheat flour by authorizing imports. And the good news blared over state media was that the government would be saving Rs. 50 million per annum by the withdrawal of this subsidy. Now, dear consumers, the burden of paying this subsidy has fallen on our shoulders. We don’t have any option but to buy the Prima flour at the enhanced (unsubsidized) price it is selling at, and the bread, which is now selling at between 19 and 23 rupees. The imported flour the minister promised, is still a mirage. In any case, the cost of the imported flour is to cost more than the price of the earlier Prima subsidized price. So, where is the benefit to us consumers? Again, it is the "commis kakka" that will be the beneficiary.

The minister’s intention to declare bread an essential commodity and control its selling price, is not very assuring.

God Save Sri Lanka.