CAA earns over Rs 10m in fines
Irangika RANGE
The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has earned over Rs. 10.1 million
through fines in islandwide raids conducted during the festive season.
CAA Chairman Rumi Marzook told the Daily News that the authority
received a number of public complaints during the festive season
regarding errant traders.
Following their complaints, the CAA raiding teams conducted 4,200
countrywide raids during the Christmas and New Year season.
Meanwhile, the CAA had conducted 42,000 raids last year and earned
over Rs.100 million as fines from errant traders.
"We commenced the raids to nab errant traders who engaged in
deceptive conduct and unfair trade practices targeting the festive
season during December on the instructions of Co-operatives and Internal
Trade Minister Johnston Fernando," he said. Raids were conducted in all
parts of the country including the North and East. Most of the errant
traders were nabbed from the Colombo district. These traders had fleeced
the consumers by selling commodities including rice at a higher price
than the maximum stipulated retail prices.
Selling goods above the maximum stipulated prices, selling expired
goods and failing to display prices of goods, non issuance of the
guarantees, not displaying prices of items advertised through electronic
and print media and hoardings and selling goods under condition were
some of the offences that the CAA issued fines for. |