Price freeze: Monitor online sellers' compliance - Dizon

CEBU, Philippines —  Three departments of the government are called on to check on the compliance of businesses with Department of Trade and Industry’s list of suggested retail prices (SRP) of basic and essential goods and commodities.

The request was made by Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon to the DTI, the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Health (DOH) regional offices.

It was pursuant to Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2020-01 entitled "Price Freeze under a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019."

Dizon, in a proposed resolution, said the agencies should deploy monitoring teams to check on businesses, including those operating online.

“Monitoring shall likewise cover those transacted via online platforms since most businesses now are being done online,” he said.

Dizon will present the measure to the City Council in the next regular session."It is crucial that there should be continuous monitoring on the ground of the prices of basic necessities to ensure strict compliance by business owners and entrepreneurs with the prize freeze under the JMC," said Dizon.He said the COVID-19 pandemic is taking its serious economic toll on the people given massive loss of livelihood and employment.

"It is during these challenging times that we must protect the public from abusive and unscrupulous enterprising individuals especially now that people are seriously hard-pressed due to absence, lack or insufficiency of income," he said.The DTI, DA, and DOH, citing the mandate of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (Republic Act 10121) and the Price Act (Republic Act 7581, as amended), have issued JMC No. 2020-01 entitled "Price Freeze under a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019.

”Dizon said these agencies shall ensure that the price freeze of basic necessities is strictly implemented and enforced which include, among others, food, water, agricultural products, medicine, and medical supplies.  KQD (FREEMAN)