Dec 05, Colombo: Sri Lanka Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs has removed the import taxes on several food items with the hope of keeping the prices down in the coming festive season.

Twenty rupees each import taxes on potato and big onion are among these removed taxes. However the import tax on rice has not been removed. Instead the Ministry wishes to issue more rice stocks to the government stores to keep the price of the Sri Lankans' major staple food down.

Sri Lanka government imposed a Rs. 20 per kilo import tax for big onion few months back to provide a fair price to the big onion farmers of Sri Lanka who were having a bumper harvest this season. However the big onion price has now risen to Rs. 85 – 90. The government expects the price of a big onion kilo will come down 50% and the same will happen to potatoes as well. City Bank Card, Chase low rate loan, American Express