Price Tagging Laws must be enforced

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs to enforce the Price Control Act 1946 Amendment 1973, Section 8 (1) which requires traders to display price tags on goods that are meant for sale.

Our repeated survey around Penang Island showed that many traders especially food stalls and restaurants are blatantly flouting the Price Control Act.

The main offenders were the stalls where prices of food and drinks sold by stalls had no price list displayed. Sometimes they posted up price lists that are written entirely in Chinese.

Second, on the list of offenders were restaurants that did not update their price lists.

Many of the food outlets have their price list located some distance away from where the food is placed. Therefore, it is difficult for a customer to know the price of food placed on his place on his plate and often costing more than his budget. Especially at a time of this sharp rise in food prices.

Generally, consumers are often overcharged in these cases and they have no price list to fall back on to argue about the charges on their bill.

According to the Act, the onus is on the seller to keep the buyers informed of the prices and the lack of enforcement has hindered the effectiveness of the law.

In view of this, CAP calls on the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs to conduct a nationwide checked and strictly enforce the laws in accordance to Section 8(1) of the Price Control Act 1946 Amendment 1973. The offenders should be booked immediately.

Mohideen Abdul Kader
President
Consumers Association of Penang (CAP)

Press Statement, 3 June 2022

Please donate at https://consumer.org.my/make-a-donation-english/