Essential food items, including dhal, sugar, onions and potatoes, are set to go up in price before the National New Year following a government decision to impose an additional import tax on these items, an official said yesterday.

Labour (non-Cabinet) Minister Mervyn Silva had reportedly obtained approval from the Ministry of Education to have at least another 20 students included through the back door in the Year-One intake at a girls’ school in Kiribathgoda, The Sunday Times understands.