Mt Hagen shops fined for overpricing items

By PETER ESILA
THE Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) has fined 12 shops in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands for overpricing items in their shops, commissioner and chief executive officer Paulus Ain says.
Ain said the fines totalled K120,000.
He said according to Order 11 of the Pandemic Act 2020, the shops were issued notices last month not to increase prices of certain declared items to more than 10 per cent of the base price.
“Upon ICCC’s enforcement phase to verify if traders are complying, the inspection team noted that most traders are not complying and have increased prices of declared items,” he said.
Declared items included rice, flour, sugar, fresh fruit, baby formula, soap, hand sanitiser, cooking oil, tinned meat, tinned fish, fresh chicken products, frozen meat products, wipes, the Covid-19 rapid antigen tests and noodles. One of the largest wholesalers in the Highlands, Freedom Apex Ltd, formerly known as Daewon Ltd, was issued a fine of K30,000 for increasing prices of cooking oil and rice.
“Other traders fined include Tininga Trading Ltd.
“Fine for each shop is K10,000 for non- compliance and the traders have 10 working days to pay up the fine or justify the increases.
“The exercise is carried out in the Highlands and will continue throughout the country.”