FCCC CEO Joel Abraham

The daily complaints against unscrupulous traders have increased fourfold since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission will be taking legal action against six traders who engaged in unethical practices during the lockdown period.

FCCC CEO Joel Abraham says some traders were caught trying to take advantage of the current situation, and will now face penalties.

“Every day we are getting at least four times the number of complaints that were coming in previously. We have recruited special enforcement officers and have put them in different towns and cities and geographical locations as well to make sure that we respond in a timely manner.”

The Consumer protection agency has also issued warnings to various other retailers having carried out over 300 inspections.

“At least 15 other traders have been warned for prosecution because of some of the practices that we have identified. There’s issue that we’ve noted on the ground like overcharging, non-issuance of receipts, selling of damaged and expired items. We’ve got issues such as conditional selling. These are some of the issues that we have identified as a result.”

The FCCC warns any business found breaching the law can face fines of up to $250,000.