Chamber hails move to stop sale of ‘fake products’

Business

THE Lae Chamber of Commerce Inc (LCCI) is supporting the move by Morobe government to stop the sale of goods which do not meet set standards.
Chamber president Allan McLay said the fake products must not be allowed to be sold in shops around Lae.
The Morobe government’s division of commerce, industry and tourism, in partnership with the Investment Promotion Authority, Internal Revenue Commission, Independent Consumer and Competition Commission, police and Customs are driving the exercise.
Last week, the team confiscated cartons of fake products which included electrical items, food and radios.
McLay said fake products when smuggled into the country caused a loss of millions of kina in duty.
“Usually these fake products duplicate successful and tried products that mostly are produced locally, thus cutting out on local jobs and overheads,” he said.
He said research on successful local products was negated by copies which might be not as good and tarnished the names of local products.
McLay said small and medium enterprises could lose business because of such products.
An office is expected to be established within the Morobe administration to conduct the exercise which will cover the nine districts of Morobe.