And as Belize prepares for TS Lisa, there are those who may want to take advantage of the situation. In times of hurricanes, price gouging in supermarkets is all too common as business owners hike up the prices of basic supplies they know the public will need.
And during the Zoom press conference earlier today, the Minister of Disaster Risk Management discouraged store owners, since price gouging mainly affects the poor and most vulnerable populations.
Orlando Habet, Minister of Disaster Risk Management
"I think that it's something that has happened before and on other occasions I think we have heard the Minister of Agriculture, Jose Mai, speaking about that and certainly implore these businesses to not do that because it affects largely the poor people who really can't afford it and so there are certain items that we know are controlled so you can't increase the prices of those, but there are other items that will be absolutely necessary for these people to take to their shelters or to move from one place to another or even if you want to stay at home and want to stock up on water or food, then sometimes this issue with price gouging occurs and certainly I can say for sure that Cabinet, the government of Belize, discourages this kind of activity."
And in a press release from the Belize Bureau of Standards, they are advising consumers to be vigilant as it relates to the prices of goods and services during this time. They say, quote, "It is common for unscrupulous business practices such as price gouging to occur during or after a natural disaster or any other state of national emergency. Consumers are, therefore, reminded of the importance of saving receipt(s) as proof of purchase which can serve as a basis to formally report any contraventions encountered in the marketplace." End quote.
The BBS adds that reports of price gouging can be made through their consumer protection hotline at 0-800-283-5587.
