Courts in two separate locations have imposed fines totalling Rs. 1.1 million on traders found guilty of selling goods above government-regulated maximum retail prices, as the Consumer Affairs Authority continues its crackdown on overpricing.
The Nuwara Eliya Magistrate’s Court fined two traders a combined Rs. 600,000. One shop was fined Rs. 500,000 after being found to have sold 750ml drinking water bottles at Rs. 30 above the stipulated price. A second trader received a Rs. 100,000 fine for selling rice above the government-mandated MRP. Both cases were filed by the CAA Nuwara Eliya District Office.
In a separate case, the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court fined a supermarket in Mulleriyawa Rs. 500,000 for selling imported Keeri Ponni rice at Rs. 30 per kilo above the MRP. The owner entered a guilty plea. That verdict was delivered on Monday, May 18, and reported on Wednesday.
The enforcement actions come at a time of heightened public concern over food prices, with importers warning this week that the weakening rupee will push the cost of staples such as sugar, dhal, and rice higher in the coming weeks. The CAA has stepped up inspections across the country in recent months, with fines also imposed on traders in Kegalle during Avurudu raids and across six districts in a broader CAA crackdown. The FAO warning that Hormuz disruption could raise Sri Lanka food prices has added further pressure to the overpricing problem.
