The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), steps up enforcement to stop Anti-consumer practice in Rivers State, vows to bring perpetrators to book
Jude Nzennaya Port Harcourt
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has embarked on enforcement in Woji area of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, warning owners of superstores to desist from undercutting or short changing consumers by way of hiking prices, rebagging, selling unregistered goods, among others.
This was disclosed by the South South Zonal Coordinator of FCCPC, Mr Uchegbu Chukwuma in an exclusive interview with our Correspondent in Port Harcourt
According to him, this is in line with the directive from their headquarters and they intend to extend the raid to the open markets, where he said more anti-consumer practices occur on daily basis.
The Zonal Coordinator who said what they did in the first instance is to make the erring traders sign an undertaking to refrain from such anti-consumer practices, warned that if after that the traders are caught in such act again, they will be prosecuted and the fines of the Commission according to him are usually heavy.
He therefore urged the traders to eschew such anti-competition practices in their own interests.
Mr. Chukwuma identified third hand practices, under-measurment, hike in prices and selling of unregistered goods as some of the offences being committed by traders, dealers or marketers against the consumers on daily basis.
These, he said make the consumers not to have value for their money and this must stop forthwith.
“We intend to extend the enforcement to the open markets, where we will come face to face with the traders and consumers.
We must end third party trade in the markets.
“A situation where a village trader who brings her goods from the hinterland will not be allowed to sell her products directly to the customers unless she joins union is to say the least anti-consumer.
In short, such thing inhibits competition and it is anti-consumer. This is unacceptable and FCCPC can no longer tolerate that, “the Zonal Coordinator said.
He restated that the intention of FCCPC is not to kill businesses, but to allow competition to strive, so that consumers can have value for their money.
The Zonal Coordinator cited Section 17(a) of the Act that established FCCPC, which he said empowers them to administer and enforce competition and protect consumers.
