The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has filed court cases against traders in Marawila found selling Samba rice above the government-mandated Maximum Retail Price (MRP), the regulator said Friday, following special raids in the area.
The CAA said inspections on Thursday revealed that several traders were unfairly charging consumers by selling rice at inflated prices. Court cases have been initiated against all traders involved.
The agency reminded consumers to remain vigilant when buying essentials and stressed that buyers should refuse to pay more than the stipulated control price. The public has been urged to report violations via the 1977 hotline.
The Marawila action is the latest in a sustained CAA enforcement push targeting rice and water price compliance ahead of and during periods of heightened inflation pressure. Earlier raids led to court actions against rice and water price violations across six districts and the inflation rate accelerated to 5.4% in April from 2.2% in March, raising consumer affordability concerns.
The Samba variety is among the staples covered by the MRP regime introduced last year to insulate consumers from miller pricing pressure. CAA has stepped up special raids in district centres since early May, with the regulator pledging additional surprise inspections in the weeks ahead.
