CHECK ALCOHOL PRICES

IT would appear some traders will do anything for a profit, even if it means taking advantage of a pandemic to make that quick buck. The onset of the coronavirus or Covid-19 has brought out predatory instincts of people, especially traders who have launched unparalleled price increments especially on beverages. A survey in Lusaka has revealed some shocking price trends on alcoholic drinks, which have been in short supply because of the closure of some outlets especially bars and liquor stores. Most of the alcohol can only be bought from supermarkets and minimarts, but at exorbitant prices. While traders at Soweto have increased prices of some commodities by such marginal rates, this is not the case with those dealing in beverages. It would seem that with no one monitoring consumer price activities, these traders have taken advantage to unilaterally up the prices of beverages by more than 100 percent. For instance, a bottle of some liquor that used to cost K200 is now going for between K400 and K500. This is daylight robbery and Government should not allow this. People are already stressed and should not be subjected to this kind of abuse. The shop owners’ excuse of stocks not coming in, cannot hold water. This is simply because people are not doing their jobs to prevent such abuse. There are no price controls in this country because it is an open economy, but this is no reason to subject consumers to this kind of abuse. We have learnt that liquor traders are taking advantage of the Covid-19 outbreak to hike prices of most imported consumables on the pretext that they are in short supply. The price of most brands has doubled with whiskey which was on the average costing K200 now selling at over K500 in some liquor shops in Lusaka. And Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) president, Robert Mwanza, said it was being unpatriotic for liquor traders to take advantage of the Covid-19 outbreak to inflate prices. All businesses have been hit by the outbreak but prices are still stable,” he said. While realising that every business needs to make a profit, we do not think that traders should be taking advantage of consumers in such a blatant manner. Moreover, we are in a health crisis, fighting one of mankind’s biggest threats, Covid-19, that one would expect businesses to be cognizant of the apparent difficulties everyone is facing. But alas, profit is the driving factor among these alcohol traders in supermarkets. We hope that consumer interest groups will take a keen interest and carry out their own inspections and made their independent observations. This is no time to be abusing consumers. Our concern over the predatory behaviour of liquor dealers is not because we want people to take alcohol. We just want to ensure that consumers are treated fairly and not subjected to abnormal prices. At a time that drinking places are closed as the country tackles the Covid-19 pandemic, it is only fair that in the absence of bars being open, those who take alcohol should be able to get their supplies from liquor stores at fair prices. If anything, the liquor traders would also in a way be making a positive contribution to the Covid-19 preventive measures because people are drinking from their homes. Bars, if ever they open would not be able to maintain the social distancing that is so cardinal in the health preventive measures. Let liquor traders therefore be part of the fight against Covid-19 pandemic by being fair in their pricing and thereby help people develop a habit of drinking from the comfort of their homes. Let it be a win-win situation for all.

PURSUING JUSTICE AND EQUITY WITH INTERGRITY