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Governor’s assistant legal counsel heads Task Force
to investigate increasing prices of goods
Governor Togiola Tulafono has responded to complaints from local residents concerning the increasing prices of goods being sold in the territory, by establishing a Task Force headed by his assistant legal counsel Talaimalo Marcellus Uiagalelei who will investigate why the cost of goods being sold locally has ballooned beyond expectations.
Togiola made the announcement during his weekend radio program where a caller not only complained about the high mark-ups but also suggested that legislation be introduced to have the government control the costs of goods being sold in the territory.
In response to the suggestion, the Governor explained that the issue has been raised more than enough times on his weekend radio programs, and he reminded listeners that the government cannot impose cost control unless serious issues like price gouging arise, whereby government intervention would be required.
With the Task Force, the Governor basically wants to find out if the reason(s) for the higher prices is due to the increased cost of fuel, shipping costs, or simply mark-ups being imposed by store owners.
Togiola said that if any businesses are found to be in violation during the investigation, he wants local statutes to be used against the culprits in a complaint filed in court.
The Governor is also requesting that the Task Force review provisions of the 2006 price gouging law which may be applied to the current situation, and he is asking for recommendations, if any, on ways to strengthen the price gouging law.
(The price gouging statute is in pace to curb the sudden increase of prices in the territory before and after a disaster hits local grounds).
The recent increase in the price of goods has affected everything from gasoline to utilities and food items. One of the items that has been marked up is rice, which has nearly doubled in price compared to several weeks ago. The shortage of rice has resulted in local residents turning back to basic Samoan food items like banana, breadfruit, and taro.
The Governor is calling on local farmers, as well as the ASCC Land Grant Program to ensure that there is a steady supply of these local produce for consumption, and he hopes that farmers won’t impose price increases on their products because of the shortage of rice and the sudden demand for Samoan food.
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