ICCC takes PMV owner to court

THE Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has taken a Public Motor Vehicle (PMV) owner in East New Britain to court for non-compliance.
This was after the owner of the PMV (name withheld) offered and provided PMV services to passengers in November 2017 over the maximum approved fare of K4.40 set by the ICCC. ICCC Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Paulus Ain said that this overcharge was proven through the ICCC’s investigation and proceedings were instituted in Court in December, 2017 pursuant to ICCC’s prosecutions powers under the Prices Regulation Act.
Ain said this particular PMV owner has been ordered by the Kokopo district court earlier this month to pay a penalty fee of K600.
“We try our very best here to make sure that PMV fares that we charge or set are fair and reasonable that consumers and business can afford.”
“But in the process of setting and making this announcement, some PMV operators at some stage decide not to comply with the PMV fare price that we set.” Ain said they are using that outcome to drive the message to other PMV owners and operators many of which are not compliant.
“We’ve had an earlier successful case on a PMV operator for overcharging fares so this will be the third successful case under the Prices Regulation Act,” he said.
“We have taken a successful prosecution and we will not hesitate to prosecute those who are found to be non-compliant.”
“Our regional offices in Lae, Goroka and Kokopo do come across
complaints from consumers but in this case I would say most of the detection in terms of non-compliant is through our monthly inspections on sight.”