Poor packaging of products and price speculation lead the infractions registered, in the last 15 days, by ANIESA in the province of Huambo, in more than 40 commercial establishments, as part of the “Operação Natal” campaign.
The information was provided to the press yesterday by the coordinator of the National Authority for Economic Inspection and Food Security (ANIESA) in the province of Huambo, Manuel Vitongue, when he was giving a pre-assessment of the campaign that runs until January 5, 2024.
According to the person responsible, in the first phase, the visits, with the participation of inspectors from the 11 municipalities of the province, are of an educational nature, and, in case of recurrence, sanctions will be carried out, with the aim of stop speculation in the prices of basic food products and improve the population’s food quality.
He said that the initiative also evaluated the way products are sold, the definition of food prices and expiry dates, the legality of carrying out commercial activity, social security, tax commitments and purchase invoices, to see the margin of the profit, which cannot exceed 20 percent.
Without presenting numbers, Manuel Vitongue said that few punitive actions were carried out, due to the fact that operators were collaborating with the authorities and committed to improving their activities in the coming days.
He asked for greater collaboration from commercial operators, to avoid various punishments that in no way contribute to the development of the local economy and the direct and indirect increase in jobs in the province of Huambo.
He urged citizens to report any violations of product prices to ANIESA, as, most of the time, the prices set have not been the real or invoiced prices, with an excessive difference.
He said that ANIESA has been paying attention, in recent days, to operators who take advantage to change the characteristics of products, especially weight, measurement, labeling and prices.
The campaign, which has been running since November 20th, involves inspectors from 11 municipalities, through the inspection and monitoring of widely consumed products, influencing compliance with the legal obligations of economic agents and ensuring the protection of consumer rights.
ANIESA was created through Presidential Decree No. 267/20, of October 16, as an inspection body for economic activities.
It is made up of inspectors from commerce, hotels, health, agriculture and other related areas, who control the prices and quality of products on sale.
