By Newswire Editorial
The first wholesale sales centre of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), rebranded as National Sathosa, was officially opened in Matara today (11), marking a key step in the government’s efforts to revive the state-owned wholesale supplier.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, the centre, located at No. 31, Rahula Mawatha, Matara, aims to provide essential food items at reasonable wholesale prices while ensuring fair prices for local farmers.
The centre will facilitate the wholesale distribution of locally produced potatoes, onions, grains and essential dry food items, with the objective of reducing the influence of intermediaries and providing relief to consumers.
The Ministry said the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment, which had previously been liquidated and closed, was re-established under the current government as part of efforts to strengthen state intervention in the wholesale market.
The institution, which resumed operations with just two staff members, including Chairman Kosala Wilbawa and Chief Executive Officer Asanka Fernando, has now expanded to 50 employees.
Since 2025, National Sathosa has also been purchasing paddy in collaboration with the Paddy Marketing Board, processing it into rice and distributing it under the National Sathosa Rice brand. The institution has also commenced purchasing locally produced onions and potatoes.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe said the revival of the institution represented the government’s commitment to restoring public assets and strengthening state-owned enterprises.
He alleged that around 60 vehicles belonging to the institution had been sold in 2023 for less than their assessed value, while several other assets had faced ownership-related issues.
The Minister also claimed that agreements relating to a building worth approximately Rs. 2 billion near the Sathosa head office had remained unsigned for nearly 13 years.
Samarasinghe said the government had taken steps to recover and safeguard the institution’s assets while giving it a new beginning under the National Sathosa brand.
Meanwhile, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti said the newly opened wholesale centre had previously been an abandoned property that had become a mosquito breeding ground.
He said the location, which had remained unused and overgrown for years, had now been transformed into a facility capable of benefiting the entire Southern Province.
Handunnetti described the redevelopment as an important initiative, noting that considerable effort had gone into restoring the premises and making them suitable for wholesale operations. (Newswire)