The government is now hoping that open competition will result in competitive prices for various goods sold to consumers.
Attorney General and Acting Finance Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said their main focus will be to monitor anti-competitive behavior to ensure that everyone benefits.
He also revealed the merger of Prices and Incomes Board (PIB) and the Department of Fair Trading with the Commerce Commission.
Sayed-Khaiyum said government's decision to reject a proposal from the PIB to include the 24 items under the Counter Inflation Act by the end of this month was necessary.
He said 146 items have also been removed from price surveillance and this is to ensure that competition determines the best prices for consumers.
He said more can be achieved both for consumers and businesses with competition which is now evident in Fiji's telecommunications sector.
PIB had announced earlier this month that they were proposing to add another 24 essential household items under the Price Control list.
It said that this was based on a directive by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama due to the growing concern with the general trend of disparities in the prices of certain basic food items. PIB had given 14 days for submissions.
However, Sayed-Khaiyum said the Finance Ministry sits on the board of PIB and a policy decision has now been made that the 24 items should not be included in the Price Control list.
Meanwhile, the 146 items that have been removed from price surveillance are locally manufactured items.
Under price surveillance, manufacturers had to give 12 weeks written notice of any proposed increase in ex-factory or wholesale price of goods.
The manufacturers do not have to do that after the items were removed from price surveillance.
The 146 items include locally manufactured ice cream, beer, cigarettes, local fertilizer, galvanized tubes and pipes, cartons, snacks and paper bags.
A man from Topline Housing in Mead Road in Suva is currently being questioned by Police in relation to the assault in the area a few days ago.Police c...
4 minutes ago
A man charged with the alleged murder of 55-year-old Prem Chand in Labasa over the weekend has been remanded in custody after appearing in the Labasa ...
54 minutes ago
Government agencies, development partners, and technical experts came together this morning at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva to be part of the ...
1 hour ago
Assistant Minister for Multi Ethnic Affairs, Shalen Kumar says while Fiji has made strong progress in restoring media freedom, the challenge now is ...
1 hour ago
The Kimaya Brighter Minds Trust has received a generous donation of $6,500 from Hamilton Sangam. This will directly assist the Trust in expanding the ...
1 hour ago
Chairman of the Constitution Review Commission, Sevuloni Valenitabua and Commission member, Doctor Neelesh Gounder, will appear on fijivillage ...
1 hour ago
I could not contain my emotions when we won today because its been 33 years we have been trying to win the Coca-Cola Games and I'm really proud of ...
2 days ago
While hundreds of leases have been renewed, non-renewals and subdivision of cane land for residential use in Seaqaqa are leaving many farming ...
7 days ago
Serious concerns are being raised regarding a proposed Australian company's TNG Waste-to-Energy incinerator in Saweni, Vuda, and a group of concerned ...
8 days ago
