By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE Price Control Commission yesterday indicated that it is finished giving warnings to local food stores, particularly Super Value, for not having the necessary documents to justify “high prices” on extended breadbasket items.
PCC Chairman EJ Bowe said that excuses by merchants are no longer acceptable, adding that the group has given stores in New Providence “more than enough time” to make the necessary documents available.
Speaking directly to Super Value, Mr Bowe said: “By now, one would have thought that any good, reasonable, businessperson would have rectified this issue after we have been to two stores and (given them a) couple of weeks.
“To come into this store now, there is no paper work and all the manager can say is he didn’t know, he didn’t know that it was required. (He said) he has to check with the head office.”
Mr Bowe added: “That doesn’t make sense to me. The excuse is not acceptable, especially not after we have already (given) the sister stores warnings.
“We are not going through this anymore. If there (are) any other stores that we go to, which belongs to Super Value in particular, because they had the warning, they would have to suffer the consequences. Any storeowner that doesn’t comply with the law will have to be prosecuted. The Act clearly states what has to be done,” he added.
In January, Super Value’s Robinson Road and East Street stores did not have a report detailing the initial price of their breadbasket items and extended breadbasket items, import fees, and the subsequent maximum 23 per cent markup on the import price.
According to Mr Bowe, local stores are mandated to keep on hand a copy of all invoices that verify the cost price of every extended breadbasket item. That cost price is then added to freight expenses incurred to import that item and at most, a 23 per cent mark up.
“Stores are allowed to do their mark ups on what we call extended items themselves. They are allowed to set those prices, taking into considerations a number of factors,” Mr Bowe said.
However, if that total price is perceived to be too high, that excess amount has to be explained. He added: “Without the documentation we are unable to say so.”
“We have told them before, copies of those documents should at least be here,” Mr Bowe said of Super Value.
He added: “We want a harmonious relationship with merchants, but the only way that is possible is if they follow the laws and regulation that have been laid out.”
“The government has certainly done its part by reducing the tariffs or removing them altogether. The intention was for the merchants to pass those savings on to the consumers. We knew things were real tough for consumers, so that’s why this was done. This was done with the consumers in mind.”
Mr Bowe yesterday led a number of senior members of the PCC on a routine inspection exercise around the island of New Providence.
During the inspection process, the PCC visited three stores: Budget Meat Market, located Faith Avenue and Cowpen Road; John Chea, on Boyd Road, and Super Value, at the intersection of Nassau and Meadow Streets.
The PCC indicated that all three establishments had committed multiple alleged violations.
Consumers are urged to contact the Price Control Commission at 356-9391-4 to report complaints.
Comments
Regardless 9 years, 10 months ago
Sounds like any retailers who were vocal against new taxation prior to the initiation of VAT are being targeted.
B_I_D___ 9 years, 10 months ago
Pretty much...yup!
B_I_D___ 9 years, 10 months ago
It doesn't make sense to you because you are an idiot...all the paperwork and the pricing is handled by the head office, you don't send a bundle of paperwork outlining all the customs and duty entries out with each item to your chain stores, if you want to check on the costing and pricing of an item go down to the damn head office you embicile.
TheMadHatter 9 years, 10 months ago
Well, if that be the case - which I can understand - then he should be able to fine them for price variations between their stores. If all the computers are linked, then a can of tuna should cost the same on Nassau Street as it does on Mackey St.
watcher 9 years, 10 months ago
This is just the beginning....Government will soon start prosecuting businesses that their cronies have envied for years, and make it impossible to do business under the new tax regime. Then, surprise, surprise, a buyer will be found for the business who just so happens to be a crony. It sounds just like Robert Mugabe and his farm grabs, or a certain supermarket chain in days gone bye
The_Oracle 9 years, 10 months ago
Seems mr. Bowe needs to read up on his guiding legislation, which clearly outlines the procedures to be followed, which do not include mountains of paperwork stacked in all retail outlets. The law requires the information to be furnished at the request of..... But yes, persecution is indeed the program here, a total abandonment of the rule of law and the proper proceedures, How does one say Ton Ton Mcoute in English.........
ohdrap4 9 years, 10 months ago
i visited solomon's supercenter this afternoon
the beef liver in the frozen isle was not priced so i did not put it in my cart.
then i looked for hal anf half in the dairy isle. there were three brands, only the highest priced of them had a bin tag. i complained to one employee who said the scanner was available, fair enough, he told me he had to reboot the scanner. and i stood there for 8 minutes waiting for the reboot that never happened. This scanner was next to the employee door with no clear marking of what it was and there was no instruction on how to 'reboot' the thing that had several inmarked push buttons.
i dragged all the items to the cashier and told the cashier i needed all those scanned for the price before i decided to buy them. i hope the manager who had to come and delete the items i elected not to buy was sufficiently incovenienced. From now on i will put all unmarked items in my cart and waste their time again.
why dont these people visit solomon's supercenter, where the prices are mostly higher than super value?
TheMadHatter 9 years, 10 months ago
Maybe, just maybe, Solomon's Supercenter is PLP owned?
TheMadHatter 9 years, 10 months ago
"Mr Bowe added: “That doesn’t make sense to me. The excuse is not acceptable, especially not after we have already (given) the sister stores warnings."
SO WHY DIDN'T he have the guts to go back to one of those sister stores?
Simple, because then he would be forced to prosecute to save face, and he knows the law does not support him in this particular detail he is pushing.
TheMadHatter
John 9 years, 10 months ago
E j bowe sounds like a jackass. Like a ferocious Pitt bull on a strong leash. More bark than If he really wanted to get the information he sought he could go to either Super Value's head office or get it from customs: but let E J Bowe prove he is not a lackey (and puppet old one at that) and do something about this 1. Why are Bahamian consumers paying a surcharge on their B E C bills when this amount should now be a negative amount deducted from their electricity bill since the cost of fuel dropped below $60 a barrel? (2). Not only is customs charging VAT on the duty they charge but persons who were unable to clear their shipments before December 31 have been charged the old duty rate PLzuS VAT! For example the duty on fridges and stoves dropped from 25% to 5% on January 1st. But customs told importers that if their shipment arrived before january 1 but they did not clear it they will have to pay the old rate of 25% plus vat or 32.5% as opposed to 12.5% under the new tariff rates. So how can you tell consumers to expect to see lower prices on these items when some importers had to pay and additional 7.5% on the old rate?
ohdrap4 9 years, 10 months ago
it is not 25% plus 7.5 % to give 32.5%, the rate is compunded.
$100 + 25% duty = 125%
Now vat that total: $125 + 7.5% = 134.38
so in fact 34.5% instead of 32.5%.
John 9 years, 10 months ago
Don't mind the government telling you that VAT is only 7.5% the way they are calculating it is will be much more on some items. So retailers will have to adjust their prices upwards to compensate or find themselves unable to pay their bills in a matter of months. what is bankruptcy?
digimagination 9 years, 10 months ago
Maybe they should send this Bowe character to collect all the unpaid RPTs? Yes, no?
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 10 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
GrassRoot 9 years, 10 months ago
I bet this government has to get loans from the number boyz to be able to pay the refund to the VAT businesses. And this is the direct response of the business to people such as Gibson and DPM pushing for higher minimum wage. The real world works like that: 1. first prices go up, and 2. only then the salaries. Everything else is Cuban-style communism.
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