The Consumer Council will implement a new package of initiatives on price surveillance of food and daily necessities, and consumer education to counter the adverse effects of inflation.
The Council is planning to launch, by different stages, three separate price information projects.
First, the Council will undertake to expand its present scope of bi-weekly price survey. The new initiatives will include:
- The frequency of the price survey will be increased to weekly instead of bi-weekly.
- The basket of commodities will be enlarged initially from 15 to 40 items, the number of items to be increased gradually.
- An additional group of commodities in fresh produce such as vegetables and fruit from both wet markets and supermarkets will be introduced.
- The retail outlets in the survey, comprising different types of business operations ranging from major chain stores to small individual shops, will not remain anonymous but will be published with information of their names for reference of consumers.
- Equally significant, for easy reference of consumers, the new weekly survey will also combine the price information on the websites of major supermarket chains alongside with the actual price information collected on the select items covered in each survey.
These initiatives are expected to be put into implementation as early as practicable tentatively by late August.
Second, in view of the public expectations for more price information for their reference, the Council will also collect and assemble price information from the websites of all supermarket chains which operate such online service, on its own website, to facilitate consumers in their search.
In this respect, the Council acts like a clearing house in gathering together price information available on the Internet disseminated by supermarket chains in Hong Kong.
Third, the Council will carry out a daily wet market price reporting which will cover a dozen or so commonly purchased items of vegetables, fish and meat from a few wet markets at a time for reference of consumers before setting out for their daily food shopping.
In addition to price surveillance, the Council will strengthen its consumer education programmes to empower consumers on countering the adverse effects of inflation in the purchase and use of goods and services.
Significantly, consumers acting in concert will form a formidable force to be reckoned with in the marketplace. These new initiatives will include:
- To compile practical handy guides, based on the wealth of information and data in its archive, to heighten consumer awareness and understanding of the various options and alternatives available to them in cost savings in their everyday lives in the face of inflation.
Examples include: energy saving lamps to cut down on electricity cost; chilled or frozen meat of equivalent nutritional value as substitute for fresh pork or beef; alternative means of transportation to save on rising travel expenses; etc.
- To research more into issues of basic food and daily necessities with special impact on inflation, for instance, surveys of comparative costs of lunch box and fast food meals; testing of energy efficient devices and appliances.
- To incorporate in all its test and research reports, where appropriate, useful and practical tips and advice to consumers, drawing their attention to price as well as other essential considerations of quality, quantity, durability, after-sales and maintenance services, etc. on the diverse range of goods and services in the market.
These initiatives will be introduced, as a regular feature, in the coming issues of CHOICE, and in a series of publications in the months ahead.
Commented the Chairman of Consumer Council, Prof. Anthony CHEUNG: "The present bi-weekly survey has succeeded admirably in its goal to educate the public to the disparity of prices of the same commodities amongst different retail outlets.
"Having achieved our initial mission, these new initiatives are therefore designed to take our price survey forward in an effort which we hope will help consumers to become more astute in household budgeting and spending in times of rising inflation," he added.