South Africa
Pricing complaints on the rise─── 18:00 Tue, 31 Mar 2020
The Competition Commission says it has received 559 complaints since the State of National Disaster was declared.
About 250 of the complaints fall outside the scope of the Competition Act and shall not be pursued further.
Some of the complaints are against retailers and suppliers for charging excessive prices for hygiene products.
The products include sanitisers, face masks, toilet paper and flu medication.
The commission is prioritising cases against national retailers and suppliers.
Complaints from essential services professionals, such as doctors, dentists and police are also a priority.
The complaints are under expedited preliminary investigations, with respondent firms given 48 hours to confirm or rebut the allegations.
The Commission is also working closely with the National Consumer Commission to streamline investigations in order to minimise duplication.
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