THE CABLE
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has threatened to penalise businesses involved in price fixing and gouging, issuing a one-month moratorium for them to reduce prices.
Price fixing occurs when two or more companies collude to set prices for their goods or services at a certain level, rather than allowing market forces to determine prices.
While on the other hand price gouging refers to the practice of charging excessively high prices for goods or services, often in response to a shortage or emergency situation.
Speaking at a stakeholder meeting on explorative pricing on Thursday, Tunji Bello, executive vice-chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of FCCPC, said both practices harm consumers and are considered unfair business practices.
He warned business owners and companies to desist from exploitation.
“We have observed, for instance, that the margin in the prices of imported goods is very disproportionate in many cases and, in the case of locally produced goods, excessively inflated,” Bello said.
“This is an untenable situation, particularly in the retail segment, where we have identified patterns of price fixing perpetrated by some market associations, price gouging, and other anti-consumer practices.
“From our findings, the penchant to hike prices arbitrarily is also common among sellers of food items and transport operators.
“When the foodstuff sellers were engaged, their common response was that the cost of transportation had increased. But how justifiable is it for the tomato seller to double the price of a basket of tomatoes simply because they paid a higher transport fare?
“Whereas the price of the same basket of tomatoes was far cheaper at another market within the same jurisdiction surveyed by our field officers. Now, the question: did the seller who sold at a lower price not also pay the transport fare?”
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