The online auctioning system for coconut harvests, which was introduced with the intention of dismantling the monopoly Mafia, has reportedly been rejected and obstructed because of the brokers’ objective, according to the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).
Roshan Perera, the chairman of the Coconut Development Authority, stressed during the COPE session that the preference for the practical or offline procedure was the reason for the reluctance.
However, the Auditor General P.C. Wickremeratne noted that neither the process nor the objectives of the national coconut auction were effectively carried out.
In the meantime, COPE member Jagath Pushpakumara claimed that four or five brokers conduct the coconut auction and added that they all currently represent the same company.
What was suggested was the establishment of a system that would permit buyers located anywhere in the world to purchase our coconut.
There is no need for a conventional auction system in this. You can hold a silent auction. He stated that prospective purchasers must register and submit their bid bonds.
Mr. Pushpakumara further questioned why the previously discussed method cannot be put into place after alleging that these 04 brokers are manipulating coconut prices by exploiting the current system.
