UNP as a democratic party should prescribe solutions to arrest rising prices of essential commodities, said Deputy Finance and State Revenue Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya. Minister Siyambalapitiya was speaking at the opening of Lankaputhra Development Bank's Kandy branch. Prices of imported food items have doubled and the oil prices have been increased by 400 per cent. Though we conducted protest campaigns such as Pada Yathra, Jana Ghosha, etc, where we were in the Opposition, we never indulged in such acts as damaging the Kitchen utensils. The establishment of the Sri Lanka Savings Bank bears testimony to the pledge given in the Mahinda Chintanaya to safeguard the country's banking system, he said. A 40 per cent of the outstanding State bank loans totalling to 23 billion rupees have already been increased. An Act to recover the balance from such outstanding loans and strengthen the State banks would be presented to Parliament shortly. The Lankaputhra Development Bank was set up with a broader vision. During the last 1 1/2 years, the Bank has given loans worth over Rs. 1000 million for small, medium scale entrepreneurs and the agricultural sector, he concluded. Central Province Governor, Tikiri Kobbekaduwa said he believed more than any other bank, the Lankaputhra Development Bank would help to bringing up the Central Province to the level of the Western Province development-wise. CPC Chief Minister, Sarath Ekanayake said the support extended by the Bank to develop the Central Province which is lagging behind the Western Province, is important.