Call for Wewak to have price control

 THE absence of a price control in Wewak, East Sepik, has resulted in high prices for generally cheap Asian products in shops. 

Local businessman Henry Takombe said shop owners in Wewak were taking advantage of the situation to set high mark-ups for very cheap clothing, food and electrical items that they got from countries like Indonesia.

“I agree that price for goods are determined by the market force and supply, but there must be a price controller in this town to protect the people from being ripped off by foreigners who are only here to make huge profits,” Takombe said

“They are selling products of very low quality at much higher prices without realising the hardships people face to secure little finance to support their living after the invasion of cocoa pod borer that resulted in the subsequent drop in cocoa production and earnings.”

A government officer bought a digital camera for K400 in one of the shops last month but he has already changed it after noticing defects.

Takombe said even some of the food sold in shops was of no nutritional value to Papua New Guineans and an active regulatory body must be based in Wewak to exercise control over price and goods sold in shops so PNG-made products could be promoted.