The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has deployed 350 officers to continue market raids throughout weekends and the Sinhala-Tamil New Year festive period, signalling that enforcement will not pause for the Avurudu holidays.
CAA Director Samantha Karunarathne said officers will maintain constant surveillance of essential goods pricing. Approximately 6,000 market inspections have been carried out since January, targeting traders selling goods above controlled prices.
Consumers can report overpricing through the CAA hotline at 1977.
The announcement extends an already aggressive pre-Avurudu enforcement campaign. In recent weeks, CAA teams conducted raids across multiple districts — seizing overpriced rice stocks in Dambulla and Kegalle, shutting down an unlicensed ayurvedic cream factory in Matale, confiscating Rs. 10 million worth of unregistered cosmetics in Pettah, and uncovering a veterinary medicine scam in Minuwangoda.
The continued enforcement comes as the cost of traditional Avurudu celebrations has risen 7 percent this year, driven by higher food, fuel, and transport costs linked to the ongoing Middle East energy crisis. Price gouging during the festive season has been a recurring concern, with the CAA specifically targeting rice, dairy products, and cooking essentials.
