House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to intensify their anti-profiteering operations after skyrocketing rice prices in Zamboanga City forced the city council to pass a resolution urging the local government to place the city under a state of calamity.
Nograles, who had earlier called on the National Food Authority (NFA) to look into the “abnormally high” rice prices in Zamboanga and facilitated the release of 6,000 metric tons of affordable NFA rice in the region, said that aside from rice, unscrupulous businessmen may attempt to jack up the prices of basic goods and commodities while unfairly blaming the new TRAIN law or adverse weather conditions.
According to the legislator from Davao, “particularly vulnerable are areas located far from urban centers.”
“The farther retailers are from the wary eyes of government, the greater the possibility that heartless businessmen will try to exploit consumers,” warned the solon from Mindanao.
“The farther retailers are from the wary eyes of government, the greater the possibility that heartless businessmen will try to exploit consumers.”
“We have to send a message that profiteering does not pay. Government must make it clear that if businesses try to illegally pad their profits, they will literally pay for their crimes.”
“We have to send a message that profiteering does not pay.”
In June this year the DTI warned that a fine of up to one million pesos would be meted out to establishments committing acts of price manipulation, particularly profiteering.
Following a directive from President Rodrigo Duterte, the DTI has engaged in price monitoring activities to ensure that the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities are within the suggested retail price, or SRP. DTI Regional and Provincial offices have been mobilized to monitor prices in the provinces.
Nograles urged the DTI’s provincial offices to be “extra vigilant” especially since “probinsyanos’ budgets are hurt the most when the prices of basic goods go beyond their SRPs.”
At the same time, Nograles encouraged the public to report establishments that were selling goods at prices higher than their SRPs.
“We all know that this is DTI’s job, but this is one task everyone can help with. The SRPs of basic goods are in the DTI website; if we notice that a store is not following this standard, then report them.”
