A TOTAL of 804 inspections, including 137 targeted night-shift operations, were conducted during the Christmas trading period last year by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC).
The operation conducted by enforcement teams across the Central, Western and Northern divisions was part of intensified regulatory action during the festive season; and covered traders and rental premises, maritime operations, fuel and LPG, freight and shipping.
FCCC chief executive officer Senikavika Jiuta said as a result, 41 traders were warned for prosecution or placed under investigation for alleged breaches of the FCCC Act 2010.
She said the night-shift operations included pre-Christmas inspections and surveys, pre-New Year inspections and inspections at ports and wharves.
She said those night-shift inspections last month targeted high-risk trading periods and locations with a history of non-compliance.
“These operations are deliberate and intelligence led,” Ms Jiuta said in a statement yesterday.
“Traders must understand that enforcement does not stop when business hours end and the Commission will take the strongest appropriate enforcement action against offenders,” Ms Jiuta said in a statement yesterday.
From the night-shift inspections alone, she said four breaches were identified, and four health-related issues were detected and referred to the relevant municipal councils for follow-up action.
Ms Jiuta said across both daytime and night-shift enforcement operations, the three most common breaches identified under the Act were failure to comply with applicable Price Control Orders issued under the Act, refusal to sell goods at the authorised or maximum retail price and failure to display prices clearly and accurately.
She said heightened trading activity during the festive season did not excuse non-compliance.
“Festive demand is not a licence to overcharge or disregard the law. FCCC will continue to pursue investigations arising from these inspections and will take enforcement action where breaches are confirmed.”
As families prepared for the upcoming school year, FCCC also confirms that it had conducted its first round of back-to-school stationery surveys.
“These surveys are currently ongoing. The results will be publicised on FCCC’s social media platforms to assist parents in managing their back-to-school expenses effectively.”
