Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP Gamini Lokuge stated today (08) that even if the Opposition thought that the government would make the Sinhala and Tamil New Year a miserable time for the public, the government provided sufficient concessions to the public.

"The Opposition has been talking about various issues regarding commodity prices in the recent past. All 21 items mentioned by Minister Bandula Gunawardena are in the cooperative societies today. Potatoes and Bombay onions are in short supply. The Opposition thought that the government would not increase prices to control it," he stated.

Speaking further, he said, "During the Sinhala New Year, the people, especially the farmers, received a new income. Rubber prices, tea and by-products, farmers have a better income than ever before."

He also stated that farmers have benefited largely from the import ban of several goods as commanded by the President.

"The farmers of our country have benefited greatly from this ban. We have been able to deliver goods to the customer at a lower price than the normal guaranteed price. Coconut prices have also not come down due to low coconut harvest," he stated at a SLPP media briefing today.