Paper shortage severely affects state bodies

In state institutions the paper shortage is so severe these days to the extent that even certified copies of official documents to the people are rationed and restricted.

Divisional Secretariats across the island received a directive from the Treasury this week to sharply reduce the expenditure on paper by adopting digital methods like email correspondence among staff when circulating official directives. Not only that, the distribution of certified documents such as marriage certificates, birth certificates and other personal documents has been restricted to only one copy for each person. For example, one needs to pay Rs. 110 to get a copy of the birth certificate and they can only obtain one copy.

State departments were not the only ones restricting paper usage. Even the Ceylon Electricity Board ( CEB) was forced to print monthly electricity bills on the back page of previous bills. Some users from Jaffna said they were given a note indicating the number of units utilised to make the payments in the absence of available paper to print bills.

Amid all this, the Consumer Affairs Authority issued a directive through a gazette notification saying all traders, manufacturers and store owners must possess a receipt or invoice for goods in their possession with the name and address of the supplier, purchase date, price, type of goods, quantity and batch. The directive came to effect on April 27.

One concerned citizen asked since most of the traders and manufacturers are not issuing receipts anymore due to the paper shortage nowadays, they are wondering how the CAA directive will be implemented.