Wholesalers & Retailers asked to comply with Price Control Order

Apia, Samoa – 19 October 2024 – The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour (MCIL) has reminded all wholesalers, retailers, and traders to abide by the prices of necessity goods stipulated in the Price Control Order (No.1) 2023.

The Ministry issued the reminder after taking note of the public concerns and complaints regarding the continuous price hikes of necessity goods.

The Ministry said it is closely monitoring the market through the implementation of its ongoing special mass inspection to all businesses in Samoa as well as constant updates of the costings as per documents provided by wholesalers.

“This is to ensure that they are functioning in a fair competitive operation particularly their compliance with the Price Control Order (No.1) 2023 already in place,” said a Ministry statement.

“Moreover, businesses are strongly advised to not engage in misleading or unfair practices, including false advertising and unnecessary overpricing in order to avoid potential legal consequences and reputational harm.

“The Ministry will be on standby to address any grievances that will be submitted to the Ministry during the CHOGM week.

“Additionally, the public are encouraged to report any suspicious price increases, with supporting evidence such as receipts, to the Fair Trading Division of the Ministry at Toll-Free Line 8004125 or 20441.”