FCCC start shift work to carry out late night inspections

The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission has stepped up its enforcement drive this Christmas, warning traders that unfair practices will not be tolerated during the busiest shopping period of the year.

With consumer spending peaking in the lead-up to Christmas and New Year, FCCC has introduced rotating shift work, allowing officers to carry out inspections late into the night at shops, supermarkets and service providers across the country.

FCCC chief executive officer, Ms Senikavika Jiuta said the new shift system had significantly strengthened the Commission’s ability to protect consumers from being misled or overcharged.

“Since last month, our enforcement teams have conducted 657 pre-Christmas surveillance monitoring and inspections nationwide,” Ms Jiuta said.

The inspections targeted a wide range of sectors, including shipping service providers, hardware outlets, motor vehicle retailers, hotels, pharmacies, white goods stores, drapery shops, supermarkets and other retail outlets.

Ms Jiuta said FCCC officers had uncovered several breaches, including overcharging, failure to display prices, false and misleading representations, the sale of expired products and failure to mark pull dates.

“FCCC remains committed to ensuring that consumers in Fiji can celebrate this festive season knowing they are protected against deceitful and exploitative business practices,” she said.

“We will not hesitate to take enforcement action against traders who break the law.”

Night shift teams have been focusing heavily on shipping service providers to ensure there is no overcharging on regulated fares, cargo and freight charges. FCCC is also working closely with the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, the Fiji Police Force and the Land Transport Authority to ensure compliance with vehicle tonnage and road safety standards.

Joint inspections with health inspectors and the Price Monitoring and Enforcement Taskforce have also intensified. In the Western Division alone, 14 breaches were uncovered at supermarkets, including the sale of expired food items, failure to mark pull dates and unsafe food handling practices that pose serious health risks.

Ms Jiuta said FCCC was also monitoring prices of school-related items, as families prepare for the new academic year.

“This allows us to establish baseline prices and prevent unjustified price increases,” she said.

She urged consumers to stay alert by checking shelf and checkout prices, testing electronic items before purchase and inspecting food products carefully.

Consumers are encouraged to report unfair and illegal practices through FCCC’s official channels as enforcement continues through the festive season.

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