People in rural areas fall prey to fake products

PEOPLE in rural areas easily fall prey to counterfeit and cheap products spending substantial amounts of their hard earned money with no knowledge, according to Panamex Pacific Ltd.
The general merchandising company has taken time off its busy operation to conduct awareness on counterfeit products in rural villages in the Highlands region last week.
Panamax Pacific Ltd marketing manager Simonta Hani said many business outlets took advantage of the ignorance of rural population to put fake and counterfeit products on their shelves at cheap prices luring people into buying them.
He said tens of thousands of kina was wasted on fake and counterfeit items that did not last and were sometimes health hazards.
Hani led a team into Forapi village in Lufa district in Eastern Highlands recently, as part of its nationwide community programme.
The team visited the Forepi community conducting awareness on products, health significance of using PNG made products and the importance of health and hygiene for woman.
Hani said the community’s feedback was positive with villagers learning to distinguish between genuine products and cheaper imitations.
“During the visit we also made awareness on some of our new Wash soap bar products and other PNG made items to the people whom we saw that people especially in the rural areas are yet to know the importance of using PNG made products,” Hani said.
“We will also be visiting Chimbu, Mt Hagen, and the upper Highlands conducting such awareness,” he said.