A Gazette Extraordinary has been issued directing individuals who stock corn, sugar, powdered milk, paddy and rice to register themselves with the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), in a bid to prevent them from concealing the stocks.

Accordingly, importers, producers, mill owners, collectors, store owners, distributors or wholesale sellers will not be allowed to keep the aforementioned essential food items in their possession without being registered with the CAA.

The relevant individuals have been instructed to register themselves within a period of 7 days. 

The gazette notification issued by the CAA Chairman Major General (Rtd.) Shantha Dissanayake on Friday (June 11) noted that that importers, producers, mill owners, collectors, store owners, distributors or wholesale sellers are required to provide information on the product stocks in their possession to the CAA when asked.

These directives will come into effect from June 11, and they are not applied to farmers who harvest rice and corn from their own cultivation, the gazette notification further stated.