Published: 27 April 2019

THE National Consumer Rights Association (Nacora) has called upon the Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) to investigate alleged cartels that are responsible for "speculative price increases of bread" in the country.

Nacora, a consumer rights watchdog, claimed that some of the actors are "vertically integrated, allowing them freedom" of unlawfully increasing prices.

"We … call upon the CTC to expeditiously and thoroughly investigate how in particular Lobel's Bread, Bakers Inn and Proton, with an inner circle of big supermarkets cousins are directly and indirectly jointly manipulating and colluding to fix the price supply of bread, thereby hurting consumers," said Nacora in a statement.

Nacora also called for CTC to investigate the role of big supermarkets in this pricing cartel.

"We therefore believe there is both a legal and factual basis to sustain an investigation into allegations of violations of the law.

"Bread is central to the food and nutritious security of households and therefore the collusive and unfair pricing of this commodity is deeply hurting to consumers," Nacora added.

- dailynews

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