BFAPS orders monitoring defective weighing scales

BUREAU of Food Agricultural Product Standards manager Edgardo Layese is instructing all regional staffs to constantly check on defective weighing scales being used in public markets.

This after reports reached BFAPS office of retailers in wet and dry markets as well as supermarkets that are allegedly using inaccurate weighing scales aside from unreasonably raising their prices due to the additional two percent Value Added Tax.

Layese, who is a Cebuano, said they would take note of stores who do not place price tags in the commodities that they sell.

Accuracy of weighing scales, proper labeling/ price tagging and selling of substandard products are within the jurisdiction of BFAPS.

He added that Local Price Monitoring Councils are enjoined to also include the following safeguards aside from the unscrupulous raising of prices done by abusive retailers.

A weekly report is to be submitted to the regional offices who in turn will also report to the national BFAPS or the Department of Trade and Industry.

In Luzon, 50 retailers were already summoned by DTI Secretary Peter Favila to explain the reason for selling high prices compared to that of other stalls selling the same products.

Favila had mobilized the entire DTI agency to monitor prices nationwide.