Milk powder companies have threatened to halt imports of milk powder in the coming weeks if the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) does not provide them with an acceptable solution for a price hike.
The CAA defers by citing that discussions are still ongoing and a suitable pricing formula will be decided upon the completion of a review by the technical committee.
CAA Director General M.S.M Fouzer told Daily News that the Authority has devised a one-year programme for all stakeholders and that discussions are still ongoing.
“We decided to go for a one-year-trial and try out various formulas during the period to arrive at a solution which would be beneficial to consumers and companies,” he said. “The third phase of the trial should have begun in the first week of September but due to disparity over the dates, it was delayed. This, however, does not mean that discussions have failed. We will meet again to discuss the matter until a consensus is reached,” he said.
He said that by the end of the one-year trial, the Authority with the agreement of companies and in the best interest of the consumer will come up with a feasible solution to calculate prices. It was reported that milk powder importing companies have threatened to halt import of milk powder in the coming weeks unless the Cost of Living Committee allows for an increase in prices of a kilo of milk powder.