Market prices under watch
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE OFFICERS have begun inspecting vendors at markets to ensure customers are not deceived into paying more for the purchases than they should, and inspecting fresh produce retailers and wholesalers to prevent hoarding.
The campaign to ramp up measures against rip-offs and artificially inflated prices came ahead of Chinese New Year on Tuesday (Feb 1) ‒ a time of year when many ethnic Chinese Phuket natives buy fresh fruit to place on altars as offerings and blessings.
Vice Governor Pichet Panapong, along with Commerce Chief Woranit Aphiratjirawong, led an inspection of Suksamran Market in Chalong on Jan 26.
The products that were checked for pricing and quantity were pork, fresh chicken, vegetables, fruits, consumer products and other items for sale.
“These items are products that consumers need a lot to pay homage to numerous gods during the Chinese New Year and the government is concerned about the impact on people’s cost of living,” Vice Governor Pichet said.
“We need to protect consumers from being exploited in their purchases, as well as to follow the Phuket policy of taking care of the cost of living, so we have to check these goods,” he added.
Operators at the market were found to be cooperating with legal requirements to display prices clearly, and charging the prices that were displayed, said a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations (PR Phuket).
“And no non-standard scales were found at the market,” the report added.
Phuket Commerce officers in recent weeks have also been inspecting wholesalers and retailers of fresh produce to guard against price gouging and hoarding supplies in order to inflate prices.
Prices continuing to increase was blamed on rising production costs combined with insufficient supply to meet demand, the report said.
However, vendors at the market said economic conditions had slowed sales. Where regular customers previously bought two or three items of the same type, they were now more conscious of their spending and buying just one, one vendor explained.
“Small traders have to sell at the market price. If we sell at prices any cheaper we lose,” the vendor said.
Another vendor explained that although Chinese New Year is usually an annual boon for sales of fruits and vegetables, this year sales were suffering.
“Prices have increased due to Chinese New Year approaching, but during this time people come to buy only the necessary goods they need,” she said.