::The Consumer Affairs Commission:: JAMAICA WEST INDIES

REPORT PRICE GOUGING TO THE CAC

Published in the The Star on September 28, 2004

In keeping with the mandate of the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) to provide useful information to assist and protect consumers in the market place and in response to numerous complaints reaching the offices of the Commission, regarding various market anomalies such as price gouging and some instances of the wrongful application of GCT to tax exempt products, the Commission has decided to remind consumers of items that DO NOT ATTRACT GCT.

NON-TAXED GROCERY AND AGRICULTURAL ITEMS As per information received from the Tax Administration Services Department & Taxpayers Audit and Assessment Department Safe Food

RAW FOODSTUFF AS FOLLOWS

Fresh fruits
Vegetables
Ground provisions
Legumes
Onions and garlic
Meat
Poultry
Fish, shrimps, lobsters etc

Whether frozen, chilled, salted, packaged, ground, diced, chopped or dried

CANNED, PICKLED OR DRIED MEATS

Sardines
Mackerel
Corned beef
Herring
Fish
Shad

CARBOHYDRATES, MILK AND FATS

Cornmeal
Cereal Flour (counter flour)
Cereal containing thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron but no other additives
Corn
Soyameal
Wheat
Rice
Sugar
Rolled Oats
Packaged Baking Flour (not less than 45.3kg)
Cooking Oil
Fish, Cock, and noodle soups in aluminum sachets
Bread, buns, bullas, crackers and biscuit
Infant Formulae

The CAC urges all consumers who may have experienced any such breach to contact the offices of the Commission, furnished with a good receipt, where the appropriate sanctions will be levied.

Remember to ask for, obtain and retain your receipt for all purchases!!

Tell us what issues you want addressed

Send e-mail to: cacjam@infochan.com or star@gleaner.com

Write to us at: 1B Holborn Road, Kingston 10 Or call us at: 926-1650-2 or toll free 1-888-991-4470, ask for our Information Desk

Updated by: Consumer Affairs Commission - RIC Unit (September 2004)