Co-operative Movement must be strengthened into a robust network that plays an active role in the market – President

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake underscored the importance of bolstering Sri Lanka's co-operative movement to bolster market competition. In a small country like Sri Lanka, prices for goods and services cannot be solely dictated by market forces. The President highlighted the necessity of establishing a robust price regulation framework, with the co-operatives playing a pivotal role as key market players.

During a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat, the President reviewed the progress of projects under the 2026 Budget allocations for the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development. The discussion also encompassed the Ministry’s 2027 pre-Budget proposals, with a comprehensive evaluation of programmes carried out by 16 departments, self-financing institutions, and Treasury-allocated entities aimed at ensuring food security and safeguarding consumer rights.

Among the projects discussed was the provision of mechanical dryers to farmers at a concessionary rate for drying paddy and grains. Plans were also underway to import 45 such dryers, which would be allocated to 45 selected institutions among the 65 applicants. The President also reviewed the advancement of a project to establish nine wholesale distribution centers across all nine provinces, with centers in Kurunegala and Matara already completed.

Further deliberations included the rollout of rural-level rice processing centers, the construction of a potato purchasing center in Nuwara Eliya, and the Grain Legume processing center in Monaragala. New initiatives to support big onion and maize farmers were also emphasized. The President stressed the need to introduce fresh programs to engender greater participation among young people in the co-operative sector, with 34 Production Cooperative Societies already registered under a Department of Co-operative Development project.

The meeting also scrutinized the Department of Food Commissioner’s activities, including the advancement of warehouse complexes and solar power installations. Discussions revolved around enhancing the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment, Lanka Sathosa, and the co-operative movement to foster competitive markets and ensure superior consumer services.

Approximately 2,100 co-operative outlets, including Co-op Mega City and Co-op City, were examined, focusing on strategies to expand their market share and address present sector challenges. Legislation aimed at rectifying management deficiencies in the co-operative sector was also under review.

The Sri Lanka Thriposha Limited, recently in the spotlight, received Rs. 05 Billion (5000 Million) under the 2026 Budget for ongoing operations, including round-the-clock production and transportation of Thriposha to Medical Officer of Health (MOH) offices, with the aim of ensuring food safety and quality compliance.

Administrative matters, such as raw material sourcing, storage, procurement processes, and employee concerns, were also tackled, with a particular emphasis on improving the quality of Thriposha products for young children aged six months to three years. The Department of the Registrar of Companies was reviewed, with Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr Harshana Suriyapperuma, instructing officials to submit proposals for resolving Departmental issues and proposing necessary legal reforms.

The President also directed officials to expedite the processing of approximately 3,000 pending company registration applications to eliminate registration delays.