PM calls on players in commerce to be fair in pricing during crises

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging supermarket operators to practise fair pricing, particularly during times of crisis.

Holness said producers, including those in the poultry industry, have a moral duty to ensure that the entire country can survive during such periods, not just their special interests.

"And not just for the producers in the poultry industry, but for those people who are in the supermarket business who supply goods and services, we must be fair with our prices," Holness stated.

He made the remarks while speaking at the unveiling of CB Group's (CBG) state-of-the-art air chill processing plant at ‘The Nest’, its eco-industrial park in Hill Run, St Catherine, on Wednesday.

The prime minister reiterated the Government's willingness to work with producers to reduce unnecessary burdens and costs, some of which he admitted must be passed on to consumers.

"During the hurricane (Beryl), we (the Government) had to invoke certain regulatory powers to ensure that there was not price gouging, but I believe I should restate our position that we (the Government) are willing to work with the producers to see what we can do on our end to reduce some of the unnecessary burdens and costs that you (the producers) face, but you must pass that on to the consumers," Holness stated.

He also encouraged chicken meat producers to reconsider their pricing strategies, especially during times of crisis.

Holness elaborated that while high duties are in place to protect such producers, they should also take responsibility for moderating price increases to ensure affordability for consumers.

"And that speaks to a kind of cooperative policy where the Government comes to the producers and say, 'Listen man, we're in a crisis now. Here are the duties, they are there. People are suffering, manage carefully the prices'," Holness said.

"And I have seen that during the crisis that the producers have at least on one or two occasions, delayed increases that they have planned to do, or the increases that they had planned, they moderated them, and that's the cooperative approach to making policy," he explained.

However, the prime minister acknowledged that the strategy does not always work, because businesses sometimes have to take both the competitive and the cooperative approaches.

"So, I am treading on some waters here to make the point that the producers also have a duty, a moral one at that, to ensure that the entire country, not just their special interests, but the entire country can survive in a time of crisis," declared Holness.

"I am being very careful, but very direct in my language. We must moderate crisis," he stated.