​Price Observatory Unit​
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Price Observatory Unit

1.      In September 2021, Government has agreed to the re-establishment of the Price Observatory in order to enable inter alia consumers to make more informed and rationale buying decisions and to give consumers more visibility on prices of essential products.

2.      The Price Observatory is a mechanism which has as the main aim to monitor the evolution of retail prices of commodities consisting of both food and non-food products and provide an interactive communication platform for the  information, protection and  education of consumers in order to promote and safeguard the interests and rights of the consumers through legal and  institutional framework.

Price Observatory Committee

To that effect, the Consumer Protection (Price Observatory Committee) Regulations 2021, was promulgated with effect from 3 September 2021 and the Price Observatory Committee was set up on 26 November 2021 with the following objectives to:

  1. study the price evolution of the commodities and, where there is a rise in the price of any of the commodities, enquire into the reason thereof;
  2. undertake research regarding prices of the commodities;
  3. publish, on a monthly basis, the price of commodities;
  4. submit to the Minister a monthly report on its activities;
  5. advise the Minister on policy decisions regarding the price of the commodities; and
  6. do such other things as may be necessary for the purposes of these regulations.

A new methodology has been developed and adopted for the Price Observatory based on the experience gained on the previous Price Observatory. During Price Observatory Committee meetings to monitor the evolution of retail prices of commodities consisting of both food and non-food products for policy guidance and measures to protect consumers. The processes involved in the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of the monitoring report are interconnected. Prices are collected across more than 50 outlets from 10th and 20th on more than 450 products.

Composition of the Price Observatory Committee

Chairperson​​​
1. Dr. (Mrs.) Rooba Yanembal MoorghenChairperson
Members​
2. Mrs M. Mohith-Mussai
Assistant Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection
3. Mrs. Shardhanjali BedaceeAnalyst/Senior Analyst, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development
4. Mr. Sanjev BhonooPrincipal Statistician, Statistics Mauritius
5. Mrs. Rooma NarrainenHead of Advocacy, Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry
6. Mr. Suttyhudeo TengurPresident, Association for the Protection of the Environment and Consumers
7. Mr Shailendra Kumar Dusowoth

Manager, International College

8.  Mr. Rajeev Pydayya (Co-Opted member)​

Senior Analyst (Trade), Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection
9. Mrs Vishwanee BhujanOMA, Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection​ (Secretary)​

 

Legislations:

GN 229 of 2021: The Consumer Protection (Price Observatory Committee) Regulations 2021​

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