Sri Lanka It's Happening

October 21, 2007

What has cement and milk powder in common? There is a huge shortage for both. The cause is the same government regulations.

The price of milk powder, like the price of cement is controlled by the government. The consumer affairs authority to be exact. It was the head of this authority who was ordered by the supreme courts to resign a few weeks ago for contempt of court. The new one is no better but then he is just a lackey of the most incompetent of ministers.

The consumer affairs authority will not allow the importers to raise the price of milk. So they have simply stopped importing. There isn't enough localy produced milk to go around. So the minister says we should not drink powered milk but drink fresh milk instead.

For once a minister has spoken the truth. Fresh milk is better than powdered milk. But the minister forgets; that the very reason we are forced to drink this stuff is because the shortfall in fresh milk production. So why not import fresh milk? well the government would still want decide it's price so we would be back to square one. In the meantime, masons are starving.

Posted by raditha at October 21, 2007 10:14 AM