Price control on 9 essential goods

The Commerce Ministry has put control on the prices of 9 essential goods, including drinking water and rubber boots.

Enforcing the Goods and Service Prince Control Act, the ministry sets the price ceilings for bottled drinking water at Bt7 (600cc), Bt9 (750cc); sand bag (25 kg) at Bt45; brick at Bt10; life jacket at Bt450, fibre boat at Bt4,500 (2-seat) and Bt6,500 (4-seat); rubber boot at Bt200; plastic tank at Bt350 (22 gallon) and Bt600 (40 gallon); rash-controlling medicine at Bt90 per tube; and water pump at Bt4,500.

Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol said that the stringent measures will help protect consumers from unfair trade practices, as the ministry has received a large number of complaints over overpricing. The ministry last week won the Cabinet’s approval for the importing of 3 million eggs, canned food and drinking water to ease the shortages.

Poom said that about 3.2 million eggs from Malaysia will reach Thailand on November 3. It would be sold at no more than Bt4 each.

The ministry will also sell rice at Bt100 per 5-kg bag. Next week, about 1 million packs will reach supermarkets and large retail outlets in flooded provinces.