Traders lament people in no mood for traditional celebration
At a time of unbearable hardship when family incomes of Sri Lankans are evaporating, traders have found to their dismay that festive spending has shrunk.
Sinhala-Tamil New Year is the time when the majority of Sri Lankans spend on new clothing, gifts for children, the elderly, friends and relatives, and most of all, for traditional food, ranging from Kiribath (milk rice), Kavum, Kokis and Aggala to Kiri Pani and Kalu Dodol.
But, this most basic joy is out of reach for millions. Not a time for firecrackers.
The prices of essential goods have exploded and shortages have come to stay.
Both large and small-scale merchants said sales only picked up during the last weekend before the New Year. Still, people were only buying necessary items.
The Sunday Times observed that there was no rush at apparel shops. Most women were seen merely browsing.
Shop owners said sales have dropped. The managing director of Lady J, Anuruddha Wijerathne told the Sunday Times that people were mostly purchasing necessities due to high inflation, high cost of living as well as the economic uncertainties. “In the last weekend before New Year people went to small and large-scale outlets for their last minute shopping. The striking difference this season is that people mostly brought essential items,” he said.
Mr Wijeratne said that following the New Year season, retailers are heading for a challenging period amid high inflation and supply chain disruptions.
Non-essential items such as clothing and ornaments have not been a priority this year. Even New Year advertisements in newspapers were few, along with signs at stores announcing sales. Even electronics sellers had not been able to re-stock.
Most Sri Lankans who went shopping complained that unlike before, what they bought can only fit in a single bag.
Fireworks sellers and manufacturers said they did not have enough raw material.
Costs have risen by three-fold and raw materials such as potassium nitrate were in short supply.
An owner of a renowned fireworks company who wished to remain anonymous, said sales were worse than the previous three years when the coronavirus disease pandemic spread.
In the wake of the pandemic in indebted Sri Lanka, economic conditions worsened.
“The protests against the government have overshadowed the Sinhala-Tamil New Year atmosphere,’’ the fireworks seller said. People are not in the mood to have large celebrations, he said.
Most fireworks manufacturers who even had licenses for chemicals were forced to buy raw materials at underground market prices. A 25 kilogram packet of potassium nitrate which sold for Rs 15,000, now costs Rs 55,000.
Another fireworks manufacturer who wished to be anonymous, said that the government was unable to purchase raw material through the state trading corporation.
In Pettah, the usually busy streets were deserted. There were a few elderly women on the street side selling Kavum and Kokis.
V M Priyanthi, 42, a street vendor who sells sweet meats such as Kavum, Moong Kavum, Kokis and Athirasa, said that in past years, people would line up to buy.
She said that over the 25 years that she had been in business, she had never experienced a time such as this.
“Earlier, there was a customer who bought 100 Kavum, but today the same customer bought only 10,’’ she said.
She spends around Rs 6,000 for coconut oil. Prices of other ingredients have increased, she said.
Ramesh Hasintha Ranawaka who operates a curd and kithul pani shop in the old town market, Colombo 1, said New Year sales fell. The usual orders for sweets did not come. “Normally people order Kavum, Kokis, Athirasa and other sweets. But this year, we did not have a single order,” he said. He said that he had not been able to sell Kavum and Kokis. There were no orders. Mr Ranawaka said sales of kithul pani also dropped. A Rs 250 bottle now costs Rs 450.
He said however, he managed to sell a reasonable amount of curd as there were more purchases due to Ramadan.
During the festive period, thousands also lined up at fuel stations to buy kerosene for cooking.