Independent Consumer and Competition Commission

The new prices come off the back of three consecutive months of fuel increases.

The new prices set as of April 8 see’s petrol sitting 311.5 toea per litre (tpl) after a reduction by 13.44 toea from 324.94 tpl; diesel at 255.79 tpl after dropping by 9.46tpl; and and Kerosene at 239.57 tpl following a decrease of 10.59 tpl.

In a statement the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) said the new prices are attributed to the decreases in the ‘Import Parity Prices’ (IPP) due to the decreases in the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) in March.

Acting Governor General Theodore Zurenuoc executed on behalf of the State, an employment contract for his permanent appointment in Port Moresby yesterday.  

Ain’s employment contract is for a period of five years effective from August 4, 2015 to August 4, 2020.

The appointment is in line with the ICCC Act 2002.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by acting ICCC chief executive officer Avi Hubert.

Hosted by the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) the workshop on ‘Safety and Technical Plan (STMP)’ will showcase presentations from all electricity service providers in PNG.

The workshop focuses on promoting reliable and quality electricity service delivery to consumers through regulatory compliance.

The ICCC has extended invitations to prospecting power utility companies, businesses houses, relevant stakeholders in the electricity industry and interest individuals who wish to participate.

ICCC commissioner and CEO Paulus Ain declared yesterday that certain prams and strollers that do not meet standards were considered unsafe because they expose babies to a number of hazards, including death.

“This assessment is based on the ICCC’s 2014 February survey results benchmarked against the current Australian and New Zealand standard for prams and strollers (AS\NZS 2088:2000),” Ain said.

Based on the survey finding, the Commission has gazetted its intention to ban these unsafe products.

The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has taken steps to further address food labelling and product safety in PNG, banning non-English labeled products.

The decision to impose an interim ban on food products labeling, under its consumer protection division, is to ensure consumers have access to basic product information.

The 18-month interim ban on non-English labelled food products was set since March 31, 2016, and will run until September 17, 2017.

ICCC Commissioner Paulus Ain said now that the government has lifted the ban, there is no reason for them not to reduce the prices.

“While welcoming the decision to allow more importers of vegetables, the ICCC would also like to invite the supermarkets and retailers to cut down the prices substantially because they would be purchasing cheaply now,” he said.

He said his officers will be inspecting the supermarkets to monitor the prices.

Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) boss Paulus Ain made these remarks when applauding the intervention of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill  and Agriculture Minister Tommy Tomscoll for reconsidering the decision to grant import permits  to only one importer of banned vegetables.

Ain said when the import permit of banned vegetables was claimed to have been issued to only one importer, the ICCC expressed concerns that the decision had created a monopoly which was not good for competition and had adversely affected the consumers in terms of higher prices.

ICCC Analyst, Ricky Dobo explained that as the insurance industry is comprised of uncertainties, the premiums are also reflective of the risks the MVIL considers when issuing the compulsory third party motor vehicle insurance cover.

Dobo told Loop PNG that the insurance scheme is not a one-off thing but takes time before the actual costs to be recovered materialise.

“For instance, when a PMV owner pays the premium for the PMV today, and the PMV was involved in an accident, subsequently the passengers would sustain injuries.