The Managing Director of STO Ahmed Shaheer have said that STO never sells staple food items for profit and it is the Economic Ministry which always decides the pricing of these items.
Speaking to the press today at the head office of STO, Shaheer said that even though the government reduced the subsidies, STO is trying all they can to find ways to sell staple food items at an affordable price.
“We are finding ways to reduce the costs involved in importing. This includes reducing logistics costs and buying wholesale quantities. Government will share with the people once we identify a solid plan” said Shaheer.
Shaheer said that they have started providing staple food items to the businesses within the atolls via a credit scheme. “We are providing these products through a really easy process. We started doing this because, the 13 outlets pf STO within the atolls alone cannot manage providing these products all the time” said Shaheer.
He further said that, because of this, there will not be a food shortage in Maldives. “ STO’s biggest aim is to provide basic items like fuel, medicine and food at all times. Insha Allah, we will continue to do this” said Shaheer.
Shaheer denied the rumors that government has given warehouses to STO, so that they can provide staple food items at a cheap price. “Our biggest warehouse is the 40,000 square feet warehouse. We bought it from the Government at an expensive Market price. The government did not give it to us free” said Shaheer.
Even with various challenges STO continues to import basic items such as food, fuel and medicine to the Maldives. Even with the recent changes in subsidies, the price of staple food items is still the cheapest in Maldives in South Asia region.
STO never sold staple food items for profits: STO
