The Matara Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday fined a local supermarket Rs. 100,000 for selling bottled water above the government-regulated Maximum Retail Price.
According to the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), the gazetted MRP for a one-litre bottle of drinking water is Rs. 100, but the supermarket had been pricing the product higher in violation of the price-control order. CAA officers from the Matara District conducted a raid on the outlet, filed the case in court, and the shop owner pleaded guilty before being fined.
The CAA reminded consumers to verify the printed MRP and expiry date on every product before paying and not to accept charges above the stipulated price. Violations can be reported with proof — including receipts — to the authority’s hotline 1977.
The case is the latest in a string of CAA enforcement actions targeting bottled water overpricing across the country in recent weeks. Magistrates have imposed similar Rs. 100,000 fines on a Colombo food court, a Dambulla restaurant and a train vendor for the same offence, while a Haputale eatery was hit with a Rs. 1 million penalty in a more aggravated case. The CAA has also led multi-district raids on rice and water overpricing ahead of and after the Sinhala-Tamil New Year, when consumer demand peaks.
Bottled water remains one of the most consistently flagged categories for price-control violations because it is a low-margin staple at travel hubs, takeaway outlets and tourist-area retailers — where vendors often charge tourists and rushed customers more than the printed price.
