2011 Annual Report - The Commerce Commission

Table: 19 Determinations and Price Control Orders effected-2011DeterminationsCompletedDate released/Issues Effective DateCommerce (Control ofPrices for Hardware Items)(No. 2) Order 2010. LegalNotice No. 116Prices reviewed/released on a weekly basis. The new Bill of Quantities was established andsubmissions were called for in August 2011 to remove non-standard products and ensure thatalthough companies import different brands of products all these are adequately captured in theprice control list. The lists were finalized and the Commission is working on the submissions. Thenew set of prices is to be released in 2012.19 th March 2011Commerce (Price Control)(Percentage Control ofPrices for Food Items) (No.1) Order, 2010 – Basicfood itemsPrices reviewed/released on a weekly basis. For perishable items such as Potatoes and Onionsthe prices were released within two working days.Since November2010Commerce (Price Control)(Percentage Control ofPrices for Food Items) (No.1) Order, 2010 –Pharmaceutical suppliesPrices were announced in January, but the Commission was waiting for Fiji PharmaceuticalSupplies to release the items in the market under the Bulk Purchase Scheme. In the meantime,on 28 th March the Commission decided to put the rest of the medicinal items under percentagecontrol. After consultations and discussions with the Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical SuppliesCenter [FPBS] the Commission made a determination on 74 items. These items were to be madeavailable by the bulk purchase scheme through Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical SuppliesCentre [FPBSC]. The FPBSC had indicated to the Commission that it will use a staggeredapproach for the release of the 74 items under fixed price control. Out of 74 items, 25 items wasmade available by [FPBSC] through their preferred suppliers to all retailers, where theCommission had noted reduction in retail prices. The Bulk Purchase Scheme arrangement waslater withdrawn from the arrangement and all essential medicinal items were placed underpercentage price control.10 th January 2011Page215of236