COVID-19

Essential businesses under the spotlight

May 27, 2021 12:15 pm

Ariel view of Suva City.

The Consumer Council of Fiji has discovered that some retailers operating during this outbreak are taking advantage of the situation.

CEO Seema Shandil says that the absence of weekend sales, increasing complaints of price hikes and price gouging is still happening.

“This makes it evident that retailers are employing unethical practices to profiteer when most Fijians are suffering.”

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Meanwhile, Suva Retailers Association President, Jitesh Patel says freight prices, added shipment charges and transportation of goods across the containment zones are creating many of these changes in the market.

“So there’s expenses incurred by companies transporting goods from point A to point B so all those might be factoring in. But all in all I don’t think it’s a good time that companies might be doing price hikes like that because they know that consumers need good pricing and we’re all going through tough times.”

Both the Consumer Council of Fiji and the Suva Retailers Association are pleading with businesses to be considerate during these trying times.