Increase in sugar imports due to ‘illegal domestic industry’ - Bandula

Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena claims that the spike in imports of sugar to the country was due to a certain illegal domestic industry.

The minister made this observation responding to a question during the Ada Derana ‘Big Focus’ programme. 

“Sugar imports have increased because when the price of sugar drops – even I personally believe that sugar should be given at this price – because sugar is not only used to drink tea. There is another industry. It is an illegal industry carried out domestically at the village level.”

Gunawardena stated that when sugar becomes cheap it is used for this industry and that this is a “practical truth”.

The minister stated that those engaged in this illicit industry might be producing in large quantities these days.