CAA raids to nab errant traders during festive season

by Lalin Fernandopulle

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has launched a program to conduct islandwide raids on errant traders during the festive season, CAA sources said.

They said the focus of the program will be to nab traders who jack up prices and mislead consumers during the festive season. The CAA will have an eye especially on garment and electronic items traders who fleece consumers during the season. Traders who do not display price tags and sell goods at exorbitant prices will be taken to task.

The CAA has raked in around Rs. 80 million by conducting over 25,000 raids islandwide this year. A large number of raids was carried out in the Colombo district. Revenue from raids conducted last year was around Rs. 90 million.

The CAA expects the revenue from raids this year to surpass last year's figures as the number of errant traders has increased."We get a large number of complaints about expired and inferior products after the festive season. Traders take consumers for a good ride during the year-end festive season to dispose of their products", the sources said.Traders who do not display price tags, use fake weighing and measuring equipment, sell products over the stipulated price, mislead consumers, sell expired goods, erase prices and sell items without a warranty are fined at Magistrate's Court. Ordinary traders are fined either Rs. 10,000 or six months imprisonment or both by Magistrate's Courts while private establishments are fined Rs. 100,000 or six months imprisonment.

"The CAA has collected a large sum on raids conducted to check the accuracy of weights and measures. A large number of bakers who sold underweight loaves of bread and used faulty weighing scales were nabbed this year", sources said.

Consumers have complained that there should be more stringent penalties for errant traders.

They say that the fine imposed on bogus traders is too lenient. The CAA should be vested with more powers and it should act impartially to protect consumers.