Mindanaotoday.com | Consumers urged to be aware of new SRP
By: Christine Cudis
DAVAO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry in Davao Region (DTI-11) advised consumers to be aware of the new suggested retail price (SPR) amid a surge in the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs).
“We are keeping tabs on different establishments to check if their prices are still within the SRPs issued by the agency,” DTI-11 regional director Maria Belenda Ambi said in a statement on Monday.
The latest SRP list covers the 218 stock-keeping units (SKUs) of BNPCs under DTI’s jurisdiction with 136 or 62 percent of them having retained their prices based on the SRP bulletin issued on Jan. 27, 2021.
Ambi said the DTI-11 has approved a minimum increase for 82 BNPCs that also include bread, canned fish, potable water in bottles and containers, processed milk, locally manufactured instant noodles, coffee, salt, laundry soap, detergent, candles, flour, processed and canned pork, processed and canned beef, vinegar, fish sauce (patis), soy sauce, toilet soap, and batteries. The guide includes additional SKUs, such as the Bareta Bar White (360 grams) and Bareta Bar FabCon (360 grams).
“The increases were just from two percent to 10 percent, which means that these are still less than the movements of raw materials’ prices in the global market,” Ambi said.
She said the changes in the SRPs of the DTI-covered BNPCs are necessary to also help the manufacturers in keeping up with the demand despite the noted escalations in their production costs.
According to the DTI main office, the prices of major raw materials like tamban (for canned fish products), mechanically deboned meat (for processed meat products), buttermilk (for processed milk), and palm oil (for toilet paper and instant noodles) jumped by 0.56 percent to 32.14 percent.
This after fuel prices went up by 28.84 percent.
Meanwhile, business establishments are reminded to follow the SRPs, while the field offices of DTI 11 are closely monitoring those within their areas of operation.
“This will help the government to ensure compliance with the Price Act; thus, protecting the interest of consumers,” Ambi said.
“We encourage everyone to communicate with us whenever they observe discrepancies in the prices of goods when compared to the SRPs. You may contact our official social media pages in seeking assistance so that we can facilitate the needed action,” she added.
For immediate concerns, the agency said the public may contact its Facebook page: DTI Region 11. (PNA)