It was announced earlier this week that a Ministerial Regulation to prevent price-gouging in the event of natural disasters has been in force since August 22. That’s nice to know, because with at least three active tropical systems, including Florence, in the Atlantic (a fourth could be forming off the North American East coast) and the remnants of Gordon still present over Arkansas in the US, there can be little doubt that the height of the 2018 hurricane season is here.
Of course, this precautionary measure only becomes effective once a state of emergency has been declared. While that’s understandable, waiting until the last moment to prepare is never a good idea for obvious reasons.
When a disturbance approaches, local authorities will thus have to “call the shots” and issue their order in a timely manner for it to make any significant difference in practice. That will require excellent coordination with the Met Office and swift decision-making.
It’s important to point this out should little be felt from a storm in such a situation and businesses complain that they were unjustly hampered in practicing free trade based on supply and demand. Cases could always occur where one can argue that a state of emergency may not have been necessary, but that’s usually easy only after the fact.
Although a fine of up to NAf. 10,000 for violations ought to be an effective deterrent, it’s also crucial that the public is well-informed. Printing and distributing booklets with the list of regulated items and their maximum prices is one thing, but it should also be promoted heavily via this newspaper, radio, television and social media, to ensure the widest possible reach.
