The Office of the Attorney General has received increasing number of complaints against business establishments in the CNMI for price gouging as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Edward Manibusan warns retailers that the Consumer Protection Act makes it unlawful for any business to engage in price gouging following a state of emergency. The attorney general explains, \u201cprice gouging occurs when a business increases prices based on the shortage of goods caused by a natural disaster or any other emergency.\u201d He added, \u201cthe Office of the Attorney General will prosecute, both criminally and civilly, any business that engages in price gouging.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf consumers notice price gouging occurring, they should submit complaint forms that are available on our website www.cnmioag.org under the Consumer Counsel section or via email by sending a request to consumer_counsel@cnmioag.org,\u201d the attorney general stated. \u201cConsumers may also contact the Attorney General Investigative Division Hotline at 237-7627 or submit a complaint through the OAG website at www.cnmioag.org\/hotline,\u201d added the Attorney General.<\/p>\n
The governor declared a price freeze pursuant to the Consumer Disaster Price Freeze Act on March 5, 2020, which will be in effect until he rescinds all declarations of emergency, disaster or price freeze.<\/p>\n
It is illegal for any person or business to raise the price of any items while a price freeze is in effect. A violation of the Consumer Disaster Price Freeze Act is punishable by a $10,000 fine and one year of imprisonment for each violation.<\/p>\n
The price of the following items are frozen:<\/p>\n
1. Gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, natural gas, and all other chemical fuels, whether in gaseous, liquid, or solid form;<\/p>\n
2. All foods and foodstuffs, including water, bottled water, beverages, and ice;<\/p>\n
3. All clothing;<\/p>\n
4. Flashlights, lamps, lanterns, candles, light bulbs, and other means of illumination;<\/p>\n
5. Generators, cables, wires, electrical batteries of every sort, and similar equipment for the generation and\/or transmission of electrical power;<\/p>\n
6. All appliances used in the storage and\/or preparation of food, including, but not limited to, stoves, barbecue grilles, ovens, refrigerators, and coolers;<\/p>\n
7. Tools typically used for construction, ground clearing, or home repairs, whether electrically powered, chemically powered, or manual, including, but not limited to, saws, machetes, hammers, drills, shovels, rakes, and brooms;<\/p>\n
8. All bedding items, including pillows, futons and blankets;<\/p>\n
9. All medicines, medical equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE), including but not limited to masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers;<\/p>\n
10. All housing rentals including apartments and condominiums.<\/p>\n
Consumers should save all receipts, invoices, and other documents related to price gouging. When submitting a complaint to the Office of the Attorney General, consumers should submit copies of any supporting documents and retain the originals for their own records. (PR)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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