Price of cement in Jaffna peninsula soars

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2008, 05:56 GMT]
A 50 kg bag of cement sold at Rs. 650 in the rest of Sri Lanka is being sold at Rs. 2200 in the black market in Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Government Agent (GA) issued a circular Monday fixing a controlled price of Rs. 1500 per bag and warned that action will be taken against traders who do not observe the stipulated fixed price for cement.

Unscrupulous elements in Jaffna peninsula have hoarded cement, and the resulting shortage of cement has led black marketers to sell it almost at three times the price of cement sold in the rest of Sri Lanka.

Local building construction works as well as development projects of local and International Organizations have come to a stop due to shortage of cement in Jaffna peninsula.

The tsunami relief housing construction projects in the peninsula too have been suspended.

Disinterest of the officials in Jaffna Secretariat responsible for the availability and distribution of cement is the cause for the shortage of cement in Jaffna peninsula and its exorbitant price, according civil society leaders.