Monday, November 27, 2006 Monitoring urged to stop overpricing
WARY of overpricing this holiday season, a Cebu City councilor called for a monitoring of prices of commodities in the markets and department stores.
Councilor Edgardo Labella wants public and private markets checked during the Christmas season, as he anticipates an increase in the prices of basic goods.
In a proposed resolution, he urged the office of the City Market Administrator to put in place price safeguard measures to ensure a market environment where consumers’ rights are protected.
While there are enough laws to protect consumers, the City Government has to ensure that the public is spared from unfair trade acts such as price rigging and hoarding during the Christmas season, he said.
“Undeniably, the creation of a consumer-friendly market atmosphere infers the initiation of appropriate measures designed to safeguard the general public from the profiteering acts of some unscrupulous businessmen,” Labella’s resolution read.
Consumers’ welfare
He further said that laws that protect and promote the welfare of consumers should be enforced, “so that the public will not be fleeced off of their hard-earned money.”
Labella also asked the City Treasurer’s Office and the Business Permit Section to check if all businessmen selling essential food products have business permits and correct weighing scales.
“Perhaps a close monitoring of various public and private markets and commercial establishments would be a doable way of ensuring that they comply with the prescribed price limit on all basic products during the holiday season,” he said.
Labella’s resolution will be tackled during the regular council session this Wednesday. (LCR)
