The Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department will soon have a special team to monitor traders and manufacturers to guard against cheating consumers by decreasing the weight or quantity of products they sell.

The ministry says that stringent controls on product prices has already led to a decline in the sale of products and consumer goods weighing less than the printed price.

The ministry launched price-control measures in June two years ago, as it could foresee high inflation spurred primarily by skyrocketing oil prices. It asked manufacturers to freeze retail prices until this month. The ministry hopes to curb further inflation by asking manufacturers to extend the price-freeze period.

Sixty companies with goods in 23 product categories have sought the ministry's permission to increase their retail prices. But the ministry has permitted only those concerned with sugar, soft drinks and alkaline batteries to do so.

Songklod Ubolsing, deputy director-general of the department, said that to protect consumers in times of high inflation, the ministry had to implement stringent controls on pricing of goods.

Since many manufacturers failed to get the ministry's approval to increasing their prices, they decided to adjust the quantity packed.

Products that were found to have been adjusted in such a manner included soap, shampoo, detergent, dish-washing liquid and snacks.

The ministry will discuss with leading department stores, superstore enterprises and modern traders to solve this problem "soon", said Songklod.

He pointed out that the ministry has found an unscrupulous rice trader who had decreased the quantity of rice in the five-kilogram pack.

This trader was fined Bt10,000 and the company was also ordered to destroy the product lot immediately.

The ministry is now collecting goods samples from superstores nationwide to check the weight of goods and whether they are accurate according to the quantity and weight mentioned, he said.

Any unscrupulous person found by the ministry will be subjected to a fine of up to Bt20,000 or six months in jail or both.

Meanwhile, in cooperation with the Interior Ministry and the Restaurant Enterprises Association, the ministry will launch a programme this year to encourage restaurants to conform to price standards.

The measure aims to create a standard for restaurants in the country after some foreigners and travellers complained to the ministry that some restaurants had served them food at extremely high prices.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation