The Chairman of Lanka Sathosa Nushad M. Perera today refuted the statement made by MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, alleging that as soon as the import duty was reduced he had made an irregular purchase of 5,000 MT of sugar from a close associate of himself and that of a VVIP.

Issuing a statement in response, the chairman said that Lanka Sathosa Ltd being the price setter to the nation for essential commodities makes all its purchases through government approved procurement guidelines commonly known as tenders. 

He said the above stated procurement was carried out through a Ministerial Procurement Committee (MPC) which is chaired by the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade along with officials from the Ministry of Finance as well as Chairman of Lanka Sathosa as members.

In addition a technical committee sits along with the procurement committee. The technical committee consists of an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, a senior official from Ministry of Agriculture, the Food Technologist of CWE and DGM Finance CWE Security, the release said.

The said procurement of sugar was carried out on October 20, 2020 adhering to all procurement guidelines by the above committee and was the lowest quoted price for sugar at the procurement tender, he said.

Nushad M. Perera further said that the total purchased sugar quantity was 750 metric tons which is the weekly consumption demand and not 5,000 MT as stated by MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament. 

The chairman clearly states that at no time has there been any pressure exerted upon him by the President to make any purchase from anyone.

All purchases are made by following a clearly defined government procurement framework decided by  a committee rather than one single individual, he added.