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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1974
THOUSANDS BENEFIT FROM DIRECT PURCHASE SCHEME FOR RICE
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CLOSE TO 100,000 WORKERS AND PERHAPS A FURTHER 400,000 DEPENDANTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ARE BENEFITTING FROM THE DIRECT PURCHASE SCHEME FOR RICE INTRODUCED BY THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR.
THE NUMBER OF LARGE ORGANISATIONS TAKING PART IN THE SCHEME NOW TOTALS 135, AND ANOTHER 45 APPLICATIONS ARE BEING PROCESSED.
DIRECT SALES OF RICE ARE ALSO BEING MADE TO 108 TRADITIONAL RICE RETAILERS AND 35 MAJOR RETAIL OUTLETS OPERATING A TOTAL OF 80 SHOPS.
LARGE ORGANISATIONS ARE ABLE TO BUY RICE DIRECT FROM IMPORTERS SOLELY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THEIR EMPLOYEES AND DEPENDANTS PROVIDED THEY MEET CERTAIN CONDITIONS LAID DOWN BY THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AT LEAST 200 EMPLOYEES AND A MINIMUM QUANTITY OF ONE METRIC TON MUST BE PURCHASED AT EACH TRANSACTION. PAYMENT HAS TO BE MADE ON A CASH BASIS UNLESS IMPORTERS AGREE TO PROVIDE CREDIT TERMS.
THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SCHEME INCLUDE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL FIRMS, HOSPITALS, LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
RETAILERS OBTAINING RICE BY DIRECT PURCHASE ARE ALLOWED TO SELL IT ONLY BY RETAIL SALE, NOT IN BULK QUANTITIES.
EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR DIRECT PURCHASE WERE SUBSTANTIALLY REVISED EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE WAS SPECULATIVE ACTIVITY IN THE LOCAL MARKET.
THE QUICK ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT ENABLED BIG DEPARTMENT STORES TO PUT PACKAGED RICE ON SALE AT A FIXED PRICE. THIS EFFECTIVELY CURBED PROFITEERING ACTIVITIES IN THE TRADE AS CONSUMERS WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN RICE AT A FAIR PRICE IN RELATION TO IMPORT COSTS..
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE INTRODUCTION AND EXPANSION OF THE DIRECT PURCHASE SCHEME IS CLEARLY GOING TO HAVE A LONG-TERM INFLUENCE ON THE PATTERN OF CONSUMER BUYING OF RICE.
+RICE RETAILING INCREASINGLY WILL BE DONE IN PACKAGES, WITH THE WEIGHT, QUALITY AND PRICE CLEARLY STATED AND WITH NO MIXING, HE SAID.
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