Retired national police chief and senatorial candidate Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to come up with a fair solution to answer the request of some manufacturers to increase the price of some basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) amid the rising fuel costs in the previous months.
"I am hoping that the DTI will consider the plight of consumers who have also been affected by the series of oil price hikes," said Eleazar.
DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said that the agency has received a request from manufacturers to increase the prices of at least 33 BNPCs as the rising fuel cost starts to take a toll on their operations. Among the products that will be affected include canned sardines, milk, and canned meat.
Lopez said the DTI’s decision on these requests will be released in two to three weeks after a review from their Consumer Protection Group. The agency will consider the production cost and prices of raw materials in their decision to whether or not grant the manufacturers’ requests.
Eleazar then urged sellers and traders to obey the current suggested retail price (SRP) of basic goods ahead of the DTI’s decision.
"While the DTI is yet to decide on this, sellers and traders should be monitored to ensure that the prices of basic commodities would not go beyond the suggested retail price," said Eleazar.
He also urged consumers to record and seek assistance if they would encounter overpricing of basic commodities.