Business community must be informed of coconut pricing mechanism: Arundika

COLOMBO (News1st): The business community must be informed of the new pricing mechanism on coconuts before its implementation, state minister of coconuts Arundika Fernando said. "These are the mistakes of these officials as well. They must first make the business community aware of this," Fernando said during News1st's Newsline programme on Tuesday. Controversy has arisen over the new pricing mechanism introduced by the Consumer Affairs Authority, under which costs are determined based on the coconut's circumference by inches. "We have to progress from using the measurement of inches. I think a mistake has occurred there," the state minister said expressing regret over the move. He alleged that a mafia is operating in the country to increase the cost of coconuts.