Price Control Act Reactivated & Implemented

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 10 AUGUST 2023: Public complaints about the high cost of living and the lack of control over the price of goods sold in stores, has led the Government to reactivate and implement the Price Control Board Act.

The Act is implemented by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Labour (MCIL) and the Minister in charge, Leatinu’u Wayne So’oialo confirmed with Talamua that the Act has been reactivated and implemented and the Ministry is to prepare Price Control Lists which will require businesses to display for the public and customers to see.

The Minister for Commerce, Industry & Labour Leatinu’u Wayne So’oialo.

Leatinu’u said it seems the focus in the past was placed on the Competition & Consumer Act 2016 which depended on the premise that competition will control prices on the market.

The Competition & Consumer Act 2016 promoted fair competition in trade locally and the need to protect consumers.

In the last Parliamentary session, Leatinu’u explained that the Government does not have control over the costs of goods, especially imported ones, and he also informed Parliament that the Government was reviewing the reactivation of  the Price Control Board Act and that came into effect after last week’s meeting.

Leatinu’u said the Ministry now has the responsibility to do its usual inspections, identify where the problems may arise and issue penalties for breaches of the law.

Also under the Ministry inspection policies is to identify whether the goods sold to consumers are acceptable quality and fit for particular purposes.

One aspect which has been noted for a long time is the labels on imported goods which are not in English.

Under the Act, the goods imported must comply with descriptions and samples and also display prices on goods.

A lot of imported goods from the Asian markets do not have English labels but are still sold at local retail shops and concerns have been raised by Members inside Parliament and the public who took their frustration to social media.

The last time the Price Control Board Act was activated on a temporary basis was during the COVID-19 lockdowns to protect customers from retailers raising the prices of goods that were in short supply due to delays in shipping.