A restaurant in Valaichchenai has been fined Rs.750,000 after being found guilty of selling bottled drinking water above the applicable Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
The Batticaloa District Investigation Officers of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) had instituted legal action before the Valaichchenai Magistrate’s Court against the restaurant for selling bottled drinking water above the applicable MRP.
During a raid conducted, CAA officers found that while the prescribed MRP for a one-litre bottle of drinking water was Rs.100, the relevant restaurant had sold it for Rs.130.
When the case was taken up before the Valaichchenai Magistrate’s Court today (10), the defendant establishment pleaded guilty to the charge. The Magistrate subsequently imposed a fine of Rs.750,000, CAA said.
Meanwhile, Badulla District Investigation Officers of the CAA have instituted legal action before the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court over several consumer-related offences, including keeping expired cosmetic products for sale, altering the marked MRP of medical devices and indicating a higher price and stocks of medicines distributed without the legally required MRP.
During a raid conducted at several stores located on Ettampitiya Road, Bandarawela, CAA officers seized 24 expired packs of cosmetic products on which the previously marked prices had been erased and new prices indicated, equipment and tags used to alter prices, and more than 1,180 packs of medicines without the MRP indicated.
After the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, the court imposed a total fine amounting to Rs. 230,000.
The Magistrate further ordered the destruction of the entire stock of more than 1,300 medicines, medical devices and cosmetic products produced before the court as case exhibits.
The CAA has urged consumers to carefully check expiry dates, marked prices and other relevant information when purchasing medicines, cosmetic products and medical devices.
Consumers are also requested to report businesses that sell goods above controlled prices, alter prices in a misleading manner, sell expired products or fail to provide legally required information by contacting the CAA via the 1977 Consumer Hotline during office hours.
