Rs 230 m collected from errant traders

Irangika Range

[Offences]

* High prices

* No price tags, boards

* Sale of old food

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) collected a staggering Rs 230 million in fines last year by swooping down on errant traders.

A CAA spokesman told the Daily News that 8,000 errant traders who were engaged in unfair trading in breach of the Consumer Authorities Act No. 9 of 2003 last year were nabbed by CAA raiding teams across the country.

These traders had fleeced the consumers by selling commodities including rice at a higher price than the maximum stipulated retail prices. The most common offence was selling rice above the marked price.

Selling commodities at high prices, failure to display price tags and price boards, selling food that has passed their expiry dates, dubious marketing tactics and not following the required standards were among other offences.

He said that measures have been taken to recruit 80 new officials to the CAA to conduct the raids. The spokesman said raids will continue throughout the island to nab errant traders who increase prices in defiance of the Government directive.