Oct 08, Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) has called on the authorities to gazette the new value of the cost of living index.

UNP parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena said that the index should be gazetted as it would benefit the working people.

He explained that the index indicates the increase in expenditure and it therefore had a bearing on the value of the earnings of the people and their purchasing power.

He noted that the failure to gazette the index value could result in certain persons changing numbers according to their whims.

According to Dr. Jayawardena, the Labor Minister when inquired about the delay in gazetting the cost of living index had said that he would do so when he felt like it.

He questioned whether it was the government ministers who decided on the people's spending patterns.