With a view to bringing down the prices of essential food items in the Jaffna peninsula, especially during the forthcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year, the Government cleared the first convoy of about 30 lorries to take the A9 road to Jaffna yesterday, Deputy Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) N. B. Liyanarachchi said.

Liyanarachchi said that consumers in Jaffna had to pay exorbitant prices for essential food items due to heavy shipping costs.

A Jaffna based source said that even during the time the A 9 was open the prices remained high due to illegal taxes imposed by the LTTE.

Chairman of Sathosa Ltd. Nalin Fernando told The Island that the first convoy of lorries, carrying 400 metric tons of rice, sugar, dhal and vegetable oil, included two freezer trucks loaded with frozen items ordered by traders in Jaffna, had left for Omanthai from the Sathosa warehouse at Welisara yesterday morning.