Price gouging? Hoarding? How to solve the stubborn problems that disrupt the market?
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 1st: Price gouging? Hoarding? How to solve the stubborn problem of disrupting the market
Xinhua News Agency reporters Zhao Wenjun and Qi Zhongxi
At present, at a critical period when the Chinese people are working together to fight the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, some unscrupulous businesses have taken the opportunity to make profits. In some places, the prices of epidemic prevention supplies such as masks and disinfectants have skyrocketed, and some merchants have hoarded goods, which has seriously disrupted the normal order of the market. How to rectify these illegal behaviors, the reporter conducted interviews with many parties.
Question 1: How to deal with the price gouging of masks?
Since January 26, the State Administration for Market Regulation has twice released typical cases investigated and handled by various places, and a number of illegal acts of raising prices by taking advantage of the epidemic have been exposed.
The 55th branch of Beijing Jimin Kangtai Pharmacy Co., Ltd. in Fengtai District, which was investigated for substantially raising the price of masks, will be subject to an administrative penalty of 3 million yuan. Taking advantage of the surge in demand for masks and other epidemic prevention supplies, the party raised the price of 3M brand 8511CN masks (10 pieces) from 200 yuan per box to 850 yuan per box for external sales, while the online price of the masks was 143 yuan per box during the same period.
Regarding masks, not only are there people who raise prices, but there are also people who sell counterfeit and shoddy products. Based on reports from the public, the Yiyang Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Hunan Province seized 400,000 "three-no" masks in one fell swoop. These masks are marked with English letters on the outer packaging, without any Chinese logo, and without the factory name and address. There are plastic packaging inside, and there is no label on the plastic packaging. There is no product certificate on the inner and outer packaging, which is a "three-no" product.
On January 26, the Chongming District Market Supervision Bureau of Shanghai received a call from a citizen reporting that someone refurbished masks. Upon investigation, it was found that the party hired someone to tamper with the production date on the outer packaging of a batch of non-medical masks that had expired in their hands, attempting to sell them to the outside. At present, the market supervision department has filed a case for investigation and seized the above-mentioned masks.
The State Administration for Market Regulation recently held a video and telephone conference on the prevention and control of pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus infection, requiring an immediate special inspection of mask prices and resolutely curbing the price increase of masks.
Second question: How to punish those who take the opportunity to drive up prices at "cabbage prices"?
"Cabbage prices" often represent the low prices and affordability of goods. Recently, citizens in Zhengzhou, Henan reported that a common cabbage in a local supermarket was sold for as high as 63.9 yuan. After the local market supervision bureau verified the facts, it held an administrative interview with the person in charge of the supermarket and proposed an administrative penalty of 500,000 yuan.
During the inspection, the Law Enforcement Team of Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation found that the Carrefour Xuhui Store of Shanghai Lianjia Supermarket Co., Ltd. sold 15 varieties of vegetables, including selected lettuce, Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage, spinach, etc., and raised their sales prices many times without obvious fluctuations in the purchase prices. The price increases were large and the varieties were many. Among them, the price increases of lettuce, Chinese cabbage and Chinese cabbage were 692%, 405% and 330% respectively. The Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation intends to impose an administrative penalty of 2 million yuan.
On January 29, the State Administration for Market Regulation launched a series of actions to "guarantee prices, quality and supply". The heads of Wumart, Alibaba, COFCO Group, Walmart (China), Shounong Food Group, Yili Group, Wuhan Zhongbai Warehouse Supermarket Co., Ltd. and other companies made solemn promises to Chinese consumers to ensure that the prices of epidemic prevention supplies and important livelihood commodities would not increase, the quality would not decrease, and the supply would be continuous during the epidemic prevention and control period.
E-commerce platforms such as Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, and Suning.com have promised to keep the prices of related commodities on the platform basically stable through subsidies or other price control measures.
At present, the market supervision department has fully carried out price monitoring for epidemic prevention materials and daily necessities in areas with severe epidemics. Local grassroots law enforcement personnel canceled their vacations, strengthened on-duty and market inspections, and ensured that price supervision responded quickly, timely and effectively.
Question 3: What behaviors constitute price violations?
What behaviors constitute price violations? The market supervision department stated that the typical cases of price gouging that have been punished so far are that the production cost or purchase cost has not changed significantly, and the price has been greatly increased for the purpose of making huge profits. According to the administrative penalty provisions for price violations, price gouging, pushing up commodity prices too quickly and too high, and serious circumstances will be fined not less than 500,000 yuan but not more than 3 million yuan.
In these typical cases, the main violations include fabricating and spreading price increase information, hoarding a large number of commodities with tight market supply, breaking the daily profit margin of daily necessities such as vegetables, and selling moldy, spoiled, expired, and substandard food. The State Administration for Market Regulation reminds the general public to actively supervise and call 12315 to report any collusion in price increases, price gouging, or other price violations.
In recent days, in Wuhan, the city with the most serious epidemic, market supervision departments have further strengthened law enforcement inspections, focusing on supermarkets, pharmacies, farmers' markets, catering companies, and all kinds of wholesale and retail stores for medicines, food, and daily necessities. Masks, thermometers, disinfectants and other epidemic prevention products, as well as food and daily necessities have become key inspection commodities.
"The epidemic is an order, and prevention and control is a responsibility." A relevant person in charge of the State Administration for Market Regulation said that they will continue to crack down on illegal acts such as price gouging and hoarding to ensure the overall market price order is stable during the epidemic prevention and control period, especially to ensure the price stability of epidemic prevention supplies such as masks and disinfectants, and daily necessities such as vegetables, grains, oils, meat, poultry and eggs, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the people.