The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission has heard that certain businesses locally are starting to overcharge the public on goods and services and is taking advantage of the public's fears during the COVID-19 global outbreak.
FCCC Chief Executive Officer Joel Abraham says they want to let traders and businesses know that they will not tolerate any attempts at price gouging.
Abraham says they have seen that overseas businesses have increased the price of items like face masks and hand sanitisers by large amounts after the announcement of the COVID-19 global outbreak.
He says price gouging is the practice of raising prices on certain types of goods and services to an unfair level, especially during a state of emergency.
Abraham says they have heard that certain businesses locally are starting to do this and they want to make it very clear that this is unacceptable.
He says a few weeks ago a trader was fined $100,000 and ordered to pay compensation to aggrieved consumers, this should be an example to unethical businesses that such bad behavior will not be tolerated and they will continue to crack down hard on such cases.
The CEO says they will be working hard to ensure that unscrupulous traders do not undertake such tactics in an attempt to cheat hardworking Fijians.
