SL in talks with Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan over rice imports - Rishad

Sri Lanka was in immediate talks with Thailand, Indonesia and Pakistan to procure a rice tranche to stabilize its domestic markets, Ministry of Industry and Commerce said yesterday.

Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said the ministry is looking to purchase par-boiled (Nadu) and Samba categories. He said that the ministry is looking to purchase at least 300,000 MT of rice in first stage.

Minister said they decided to procure rice from these countries on the directive of President Maithripala Sirisena to strengthen local domestic rice supply.

He said he had discussions with Ambassador Designate of Thailand to Sri Lanka Ms. Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Indonesian Ambassador Gusti Ngurah Ardiyasa and Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr. Sarfraz Ahmad Khan Sipra at the ministry.

Minister Bathiudeen said the President Maithripala Sirisena had instructed to open Government to Government-level talks with other countries for speedy procurement of rice for Sri Lankan domestic market.

He told the ambassadors that the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) functioned

We are keen to procure rice for Sri Lanka from you through a Government to Government process, but are open for your private sectors’ support as well if necessary

under the ministry will coordinate the plan. “We are keen to procure rice for Sri Lanka from you through a Government to Government process, but are open for your private sectors’ support as well if necessary.

He said after one of the countries was selected as the supplier of this volume - based on a transparent international procurement process - an expert team consisting the ministry officials, food technologists and rice experts will leave for those countries to inspect and certify the entire stock before it would be shipped to Colombo.

He told the diplomats that even if Sri Lanka would choose one of them as the supplier in this case and leave the others, that Sri Lanka is still eagerly looking forward to enhance bilateral trade with all of them in many other ways.

Secretary to Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti and Director General of Finance Ministry P.M.B. Atapattu were also present at the meeting.