Over R55,000 worth of fines for MRP contraventions |07 July 2023

• 266 inspections done from November 2022 to date

Fines collected since February 2023 from retail outlets that have contravened the maximum retail price applicable to 14 basic commodities imported and distributed by the Seychelles Trading Company, is now over R55,000.

Fair Trading Commission (FTC) chief executive Nathalie Edmond made the announcement yesterday at a joint press conference with the Seychelles Licensing Authority and the trade department, at the latter’s headquarters at Maison Esplanade, in Victoria.

Mrs Edmond said this was an increase from the R10,000 for the period October 2022 when the order was introduced to February this year, when they gave their first update to local media.

She said the breach was reported mainly on powered milk, margarine, lentils and onions.

“We have also recently noticed that merchants were not respecting the maximum retail price (MRP) on rice and potatoes,” she said.

According to the chief executive of the Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA) Ronny Antat, a total of 266 inspections have been carried out from November 2022 to date.

“Out of 266 inspections, 90 contravened the order, which represents 34 percent of the total inspections carried out, whereas 176 were complying which is 66 percent of compliance,” said Mr Antat.

Mr Antat stated that higher compliance was recorded on Praslin, followed by Mahé and thirdly La Digue.

In its first update to the media in February, FTC stated that few retail outlets had contravened the order and did not want to compound, meaning paying the fines imposed.

According to Mrs Edmond, following some work done with them, they have now agreed to pay the fines.

“This means to date we do not have any merchant who has not agreed to pay the fines,” she said.

FTC and SLA have reminded members of the public that they can still report merchants contravening the order.

Mrs Edmond said they have noticed a decrease in the number of tipoffs from the public compared to last year when the order was newly introduced.

She encouraged them to do so anonymously on FTC’s whatsapp number 2515797 or to contact number 4325250.

The MRP policy was initiated in October last year under the Control of Supplies and Services Act to regulate the prices of sunflower oil, rice, sugar, milk powder, lentils, salt, margarine, flour, toilet paper, infant formula, onions, potatoes, apples and oranges, which are currently being subsidised by the Seychelles Trading Company (STC). This was one of several government measures aimed at curbing the high cost of living.

The measure is applicable for a one-year timeframe.

In its last update in February 2023, FTC and SLA said 31 out of 142 shops inspected since November 2022 had violated the government-imposed measure.

Patsy Canaya

Photos: Contributed