As part of its crackdown against excessive pricing of goods amid the high cost of basic commodities, the Market Development and Administration Department (MDAD) has issued a notice of violation to 111 market vendors for overpricing from January 1 to present.
According to MDAD Head for Operations Procopio Lipana, these cases will be endorsed to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for proper investigation as the city has no jurisdiction over the traders where the market vendors get their goods.
“Madalas, katwiran ng mga vendor ay mataas ang kuha nila sa mga trader. Pero makikipagtulungan tayo sa DA para habulin ang mga wholesalers lalo na’t kung taga-QC sila,” explained Lipana.
The MDAD also forwarded the receipts of transactions between the market vendors and these traders to the DA as additional evidence, if needed.
He added that the DA may also use the reports submitted by MDAD in analyzing and formulating an acceptable suggested retail price (SRP) for all stakeholders.
As ordered by Mayor Joy Belmonte, the MDAD is conducting daily monitoring of prices in markets all over the city to ensure that vendors are not charging beyond the suggested retail price (SRP) issued by the government.
“Gusto nating masiguro na pasok sa SRP ang mga presyo sa ating palengke upang hindi na madagdagan ang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan na nahihirapan na sa mataas na halaga ng bilihin,” Belmonte said.
Aside from the usual monitoring of prices, Lipana said MDAD also checks and confiscates unsealed or uncalibrated weighing scales.
Last year, MDAD confiscated 263 defective weighing scales and issued 282 notices of violations to vendors who failed to put price tags on their goods and 128 notices of violation for overpricing.
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