No quarter for product size cutters

The government has put the brakes on manufacturers’ requests to adjust the size of their products and still sell them at the same prices.

Boonyarit Kalayanamit, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said manufacturers of consumer products, particularly shampoo, liquid soap, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid, toothpaste and detergent, have filed requests with the department for permission to reduce the size of packaging and product quantity but still sell the item at the same price, citing higher quality.

“Department officials have already investigated their claims and found their products’ quality and properties have not changed,” he said. “The requests are therefore not reasonable.”

But Mr Boonyarit said the government has not prevented manufacturers from resizing their products or reducing quantity if they are found to actually have higher production costs or other appropriate reasons and are able to present details to that effect.

Before this year, soap, liquid soap, shampoo, fabric softener and dishwashing liquid were not included on the state price control list. The Commerce Ministry put those items on the list earlier this year and the cabinet approved the proposal after consumers complained that manufacturers had cut the packaging size and quantity of their products but still sold them at the same prices.

Once put on the price control list, manufacturers have to secure prior approval from the Internal Trade Department before changing the sizes and prices of their products.

The price control list covers essential items for daily use, such as food, consumer goods, farm-related products, paper, petroleum and medicine.

There are 47 product items on the price control list, 205 items on the watch list and 11 items on the priority watch list.

Mr Boonyarit said consumers who have found or underwent unfair practices are allowed to inform the department’s 1569 hotline so that it can dispatch officials to inspect and investigate the complaint. The department is also ready to take legal action against the offenders under the 1999 Price of Goods and Services Act.

For the first six months, the department registered 1,035 complaints through its 1569 hotline, 348 of which were about food and drink, 21 about farming, 154 about petroleum products and 512 about other issues such as daily use products, personal care, automobiles and parts, paper and stationery, and Thong Fah Pracha Rat low-cost shops.

Some 401 complaints were for retail price tag labels, 285 for overpriced items, 77 for measurements and the rest for other issues.