News

Stern warning issued to ineligible Homes CARE recipients

June 3, 2018 7:18 pm

The Fijian Competition and Consumer Competition has issued a stern warning to consumers who are trying to take advantage of the Homes CARE initiative.

A joint taskforce including FCCC and Consumer Council began investigations into the allegations of fraud against traders last month.

FCCC has so far received more than twenty complaints against traders allegedly engaged in price gouging.

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Chief Executive Joel Abraham says they have also received complaints against ineligible recipients under the initiative.

“We are out there and we will be making sure that people are doing what is fair and just and that is our job. We will be ensuring that that happens. And anybody is there thinking whether you are a trader or consumer thinking you going to try and beat the system you must know that somebody is watching.”

Abraham has confirmed that three traders have been identified and charges against them will be filed in court this week.

Meanwhile, Consumer Council Chief Executive Premila Kumar says consumers also have a responsibility.

“You cannot just go and freely take the homes care card and enjoy the money but you are not the victim of a flood so honesty should be paramount and to avoid going through any legal battle over some of these issues we encourage consumers that of you have taken the card wrongly, not knowingly than you need to return the card.”

Meanwhile, the amnesty period for ineligible recipients under CARE initiative has been re-opened until next Friday.

This is done to allow more Fijians to return the cards they may have been ineligible to receive.