Trade association says new prices from this week

By Franklin R. Satyapalan

A major Pettah trader yesterday said that they will pass down Friday’s reduced import duties on essentials including Bombay onion, potatoes and dry fish and canned fish to consumers with effect from this week.

Mr. G. Illamanathan, General Secretary of the Essential Food Commodities Importers and Traders Association, said that although they had paid previous duties on some existing stocks, they would carry the loss and price these essentials on the basis of the new duties."It is normal for businesses to suffer profits and losses (on the basis of duty adjustments) but they will comply with the government directive," he said.

The import duty on a tin of canned fish had been reduced from Rs.85 to Rs.50 giving the consumer Rs. 35 advantage while the import duty on a kilo of dry fish had been reduced by 100% to 75% which traders said will mean a reduction of about Rs.25 on a kilo of imported dry fish.

The import duty of dry sprats had been brought down from 30% to 10% and consumers could expect a saving of Rs.20 on a kilo of sprats while they would enjoy a saving of Rs.20 on a kilo of imported potatoes and a saving of Rs.10 on a kilo of Bombay onions.

The duty of potatoes had been reduced from 30% o 10% and on Bombay onion from 35% to 25%.

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