Third Stimulus | Gov’t reminds retailers to maintain price stability on e-voucher launch

The SAR government reminds the business sector to abide by the regulations of the consumption subsidy scheme set to roll out on June 1.
Recently, the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) and the Consumer Council (CC) met with the chambers of commerce, suppliers, and retailers yesterday to remind them to abide by the rules of using “electronic consumer discounts” and operate with “integrity, and to maintain product supply and price stability.”
During the meeting, the bureau also stated that in recent inspections, it was discovered that retailers have launched various discount price activities to attract consumption, and called for more merchants to provide preferential discounts.
“The DSEDT and the CC will continue to monitor prices, pay close attention to price changes, and quickly follow up cases reported by the public,” according to a joint statement.
With the launch of the scheme in May last year, some supermarkets were criticized by netizens for allegedly taking advantage of the e-voucher scheme by raising the price of their merchandise.
For example, one viral photo circulating last year on social media showed the price of a bottle of corn oil, that was originally worth 129 patacas, had increased to 178 patacas, which caused outrage among netizens.
The authorities have acknowledged that they had received a high number of complaints from the public concerning unreasonable price hikes at supermarkets. LV