State Trading Organisation (STO) has begun the sale of perishable food items at a lower price.
STO has launched major efforts to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Maldivians and has attempted to provide food items at a lower price. In this regard, STO has imported a shipment of onions, potatoes and eggs from India. The state-owned enterprise said the stock will be available for retail and wholesale purchases.
STO revealed stock will now be available for retail from STO Supermart and for wholesale from STO Industrial Village Warehouse. The retail rates are USD 0.097 per egg, USD 0.78 per kilogram of potato and USD 0.97 per kilogram of onion. The wholesale rates are USD 21.09 per sack of onion, USD 16.23 per sack of potato and USD 18.82 per case of eggs. Furthermore, STO revealed an additional shipment will arrive on April 12.
STO has begun rationing the sale of onions, potato and eggs following a price hike of the food items due to increasing demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ministry of Economic Development has established a price ceiling as part of the efforts to control the price of the basic food items sold in the Maldives.