Traders breach Act
THREE days since the changes in fuel price, the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission has already caught three fuel traders breaching the FCCC Act 2010.
In a media statement issued yesterday, FCCC acting chief executive officer Senikavika Jiuta said: “Out of the 212 traders inspected only three were found to be non-compliant with requirements under the FCCC Act (2010). They were found to be either selling above the maximum price, failing to indicate prices or were hoarding fuel products”.
Ms Jiuta said hoarding was the stocking up of items for which a price increase was expected which unscrupulous traders planned to sell at the higher price for profits.
“Any trader found in breach of FCCC Act 2010 will be dealt with harshly to prevent repeats of offences and to set an example to those who may be considering similar actions.”
She said Section 87G of the FCCC Act 2010 stated that “a person who is in possession of goods for mercantile purposes must not destroy or hoard the goods or refuse to sell the goods or make them available for sale if the destruction, hoarding or refusal is done to charge a price higher than the price it is normally sold at a time convenient to the person or immediately before the higher price is fixed”.
The commission statement said teams were monitoring traders following the recent fuel price increase to ensure that traders do not hoard fuel products.
According to the statement the traders will face $50,000 fines for the breach.