COVID-19: 108 Companies fined for hiking food prices; consumers barred from panic buying and hoarding
Traders in Rwanda who are hiking food prices during the CoronaVirus pandemic will be delt with a wrath, government has said.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Soraya M. Hakuziyaremye, has warned that she will suspend trade licences and slap fines on traders who are increasing prices to earn extra profit.
To illustrate her seriousness, Minister Hakuziyaremye has already fined 108 traders since March 17.
The Ministry has dispatched a team that regularly conducts inspections to identify culprits who are defying the directives.
All traders are obliged to maintain prices they had prior to the pandemic and also place price tags on items.
Additionally, the Ministry has subsequently set a fixed price for charcoal, a commodity that has become a necessity and scarce.
From now onwards, wholesale price will be Rwf10,500 and retail price be Rwf 12,000.
Meanwhile, consumers have also been prohibited from panic buying and hoarding.
For some food products, there is a daily limit, laugh as rice where no household is allowed to purchase more than 5kg.
Source: taarifa.rw
