Trade and Food Security Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe acknowledged in Parliament that all 14 economic centres in Sri Lanka have failed to achieve their original objectives and are not functioning as intended.
He revealed that each centre operates under a different system, leading to inefficiencies, and a Cabinet Paper has been submitted proposing reforms to their management.
The economic centres were initially established to provide essential food items at stable prices and maintain a balance between supply and demand, particularly for fruits and vegetables. However, the Minister admitted that these goals have not been met.
He identified significant logistical delays, such as produce taking up to 48 hours to reach centres like Narahenpita from Dambulla or Thambuttegama.
Financially, the centres are also underperforming, with Rs. 1,400 million invested in construction yet to be recovered.
To address some of these issues, the government plans to install digital screens at key centres like Narahenpita and Meegoda to display real-time price information from major hubs such as Dambulla and Thambuttegama.
