The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) carried out 112 surprise inspections at shops and restaurants near major bus terminals, transport hubs and long-distance bus stands across the island on Monday (20), targeting businesses accused of violating consumer protection laws.
During the inspections, CAA officers detected several violations, including the sale of beverages, snacks and packaged food above the maximum retail price (MRP), failure to display prices of bakery products and other food items, and the absence of mandatory information on packaged goods such as manufacturing and expiry dates, batch numbers and manufacturer details.
Inspectors also found expired food products displayed for sale at a number of outlets.
The operation was aimed at protecting commuters and passengers from unfair trading practices at transport centres, where consumers are often vulnerable to overpricing and the sale of substandard products.
The CAA said legal action would be instituted against the offending shops and restaurants in the relevant Magistrate’s Courts under the Consumer Affairs Authority Act.
The Authority warned that strict legal action would continue against traders found overcharging passengers or selling substandard food products, adding that similar islandwide inspections would be carried out on an ongoing basis. (Newswire)