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The Department of Trade and Industry may impose price control on
canned goods in reaction to “unwarranted” moves of manufacturers
to jack up prices beyond the allowable increase.
Zenaida Maglaya, Trade undersecretary for
consumer welfare and trade regulation group, told a press briefing
Friday that the latest hike in the prices of canned goods was
unreasonable. The manufacturers had cited soaring price of tin cans
for the increase.
“Nobody can just up prices without a valid
reason,” Maglaya said.
She added that the manufacturers did not inform
the Trade department on the latest hike in the prices of canned
goods.
“It [most recent increase] appeared on the
newspapers and television networks, when they [manufacturers] were
supposed to inform [us] first of their intention and the extent of
the price adjustment, but they did not,” Maglaya said.
According to the Trade undersecretary, normal
increase in the prices of canned goods only ranges from 25 centavos
to 50 centavos. Price monitoring by the department, however, showed
that prices of canned goods in supermarkets had risen by 75 centavos
up to P2 a can.
Maglaya said the Trade department has summoned
the manufacturers for them to justify the seemingly
“unwarranted” price increase in two weeks.
With price control, the department itself will
be the one to put price tags on canned goods being sold to
consumers.
-- Katrina Mennen A. Valdez
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