Those who exploit crisis for financial gain by unethically and selfishly hiking prices, charging new fees heartless

It is disturbing to hear reports that some operators are unethically and selfishly exploiting the COVID-19 crisis for financial gain.

The worst thing they can do is to take advantage of people’s hardship, restrictions and scarcity of commodities to inflate prices and charge new fees.

The Government must come down hard on the culprits who can best be described as heartless and immoral under our emergency law.

We should support the Consumer Council of Fiji and the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission in their campaign to prevent illegal activities and hold offenders to account.

The consumer council has warned agents facilitating cash withdrawal for the Government COVID- CASH assistance to refrain from double dipping at the expense of Fijians by demanding additional fee.

$5.00 additional fees

It has received complaints that certain mobile money agents are charging up to $5.00 additional over the counter withdrawal fee.

The $52 cash assistance is small and is designed to provide some relief to the recipients during this pandemic which has wreaked havoc in our economy.

To then impose additional fees is criminal and those responsible must face the long arm of the law. The fee of $2 is built into the amount. To charge additional fee is wrong.

According to the consumer council, Vodafone Fiji’s Head of Ecommerce Mr. Shailendra Prasad has clarified that all M-PAiSA fee and charges applicable on MPAiSA transaction are automatically deducted from the customer’s account.

“The customer is not required to pay any fee in cash over the counter to any agent and the agent must not demand any additional fee from the customer either for facilitating an M-PAiSA transaction,” said Mr. Prasad

The consumer council also reveals that Digicel Fiji’s CEO Mr

Farid Mohammed has advised that Digicel has waived withdrawal fees for its MyCash customers who are receiving the Government Cash Assistance. MyCash customers receive $50 in their account and the full amount is available for use either via QR Pay, Bill Payments or Cash Withdrawal. Digicel has not received any complaints of its agents charging extra fees but Mr. Mohammed added that they will monitor the agents very closely to ensure there is no double dipping.

Contact the consumer council

Fijians are being encouraged to file complaints with the relevant authorities if they come across these agents. They can contact the consumer council using the toll free number 155

They can also call Vodafone tollfree on its customer care helpline 124 and 444 for Inkk Mobile customers and 123 for Digicel users.

Also call the consumer council and FCCC if you feel there has been an unreasonable rise in the price of goods in shops and markets.

Any illegal activities are a double blow to victims already suffering from the adverse impact of COVID-19. They must be exposed and deserve to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.