Soaring cost of living due to absence of effective price control mechanism – Dr. Amarasuriya

By saman Indrajith

The price-control mechanism in Sri Lanka has not been working for a long time because successive governments have dismantled government capacity, National People’s Power (NPP) MP, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said.

Dr. Amarasuriya mentioned that the cost of living is soaring and the government has no mechanism to bring the prices under control.

“Why do we have such severe food insecurity? It’s because of our economic model and agriculture has been neglected for decades. This is why price controls haven’t been working for a long time.”

The NPP MP said that the government has attempted to control the soaring price of commodities through price controls and imports. However, nothing has worked.

The struggle by Sri Lankan women for political, social and economic rights, which suffered a serious setback with the fall of the leftist movement, is now making a comeback, she said.

“With the NPP rising in popularity, we see an organic women’s movement springing up from the grassroots again.”

Dr. Amarasuriya said that women can no longer be lethargic about social developments. Food insecurity is affecting the overwhelming majority of households, she mentioned.

“We meet women across the country, and most of them are worried about their children. They are worried about whether the next generation will be able to survive in the country. A lot of children are leaving the country, and this is often something a mother can’t bear. These are the things women tell us often: they want to create a country where their children can live happily.”

Dr. Amarasuriya said the government has brought two Draconian bills, the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Online Safety Bill, to scare people in a bid to win the coming election. This approach will fail because draconian laws can only suppress a desensitized society.

“This will work with a citizen who has accepted defeat, someone who believes s/he is powerless against the government.

“The average Sri Lankan citizen is not like that anymore. The government has not understood the changes that have taken place at the grassroots in recent years. This is why they think they can cow the people with new laws,” she added.