The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has begun inspections and monitoring of shops to ensure prices of basic household goods and needs are not subject to price hikes during the State of Emergency.
ICCC Commissioner and CEO, Paulus Ain, said so far his officers have not seen instances of price inflations by shops owners.
However, they are calling on consumers to be vigilant and to report and send evidence of shops breaching the gazettal.
In a media conference today ICCC Commissioner and CEO, Paulus Ain, said his officers have already begun inspecting to ensure prices of basic goods and needs are not inflated as per the Government Gazettal.
“Based on this declaration, the ICCC hereby advises all consumers to report to the ICCC any shops or business houses who have increased their prices and are practicing price gouging on certain good and needs which the ICCC has declared them as essential goods whose prices should not be inflated ion any way,” Ain said.
He said there should not be any justification for these price hikes as they have discussed with a range of suppliers and there will not be a shortage of basic households’ goods and needs in the near future.
“We got feedback from most of the suppliers yesterday, we had a discussion with them, that we got sufficient supply to take care of the market, during the period of the declaration of emergency. So there should not be any panic, the consumers should not spend their money in one go so the shop owners take advantage by escalating the price,” said Ain.
The Gazettal notice will be sent out to all major and minor shops, tucker box outlets and to every police station.
The ICCC will be working closely with the police to inspect and monitor shop prices and warn shops and businesses to take heed.
He is calling on consumers to report, with evidence, to the ICCC so that shops owners and managers do not increase prices above the allowable 5 percent benchmark set by the Gazettal.
“For us to do this, it’s the complainant who is seeing all these, get the picture of it and call up or send an email or WhatsApp, then we will use this as a basis. What we are seeing now is everyone is that everyone is calling in (but) when we send our boys in, the place looks normal. By the time you leave the shop these things are reoccurring.”
Ain said a summary prosecution will see a fine of K50, 000 to six months in prson, while a formal prosecution could likely result in K100, 000 fine and rtwo years in prison.
Any cases of price hikes should be reported through the 180 3333 Toll Free number or the following contacts:
- 7540 2447 or rhangatt@iccc.gov.pg
- 7695 6810 or bivosa@iccc.gov.pg
- 7298 7425 or pain@iccc.gov.pg
Picture: ICCC Commissioner and CEO, Paulus Ain. (Credit: Cedric Patjole)