Dis-Chem charged for price gouging on face masks during coronavirus outbreak
- Staff Writer: Phumi Ramalepe
The Competition Commission has referred pharmaceutical retailer Dis-Chem to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution for excessive pricing during the coronavirus outbreak, it said in a statement on Wednesday (23/04/2020).
From the end of March, the Commission received "several complaints from the public against several retail stores owned by Dis-Chem for engaging in excessive pricing of face masks, specifically dusk and surgical masks," it said.
The referral followed an investigation by the Commission which found that Dis-Chem charged "excessive prices" on essential hygienic goods, which disadvantaged customers and consumers.
The probe established that prior to the declaration of a national state of disaster, Dis-Chem was selling the three types of masks, namely, surgical face masks blue 50PC, surgical face masks 5PC and surgical face masks foliodress blue, at far lower prices.
