TOILET PAPER: As international pulp prices have been slowly falling, government officials pointed to fierce competition in the marketplace and the possibility of price collusion
Taipei Times
Date: Mar 02, 2018
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
Reports of a potential sharp rise in the price of toilet paper might have been the result of
From left to right, central bank Governor Yang Chin-long, Vice Premier Shih Jun-ji and Fair Trade Commission Chairwoman Huang Mei-ying speak at a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA
deliberate price manipulation, the Cabinet said yesterday as it vowed to prevent price collusion and reassured the public that there is a sufficient supply of toilet paper at reasonable prices.
Media reports of a price hike and panic buying by the public might have been the consequence of a deliberate attempt to drive up prices, and is being investigated by the Fair Trade Commission and the Consumer Protection Committee, Vice Premier Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉) said at a Cabinet news conference attended by top finance officials.
Price competition between the nation’s three toilet paper manufacturers is fierce, Shih said, adding that the market presents strong motivation for price collusion because if only one manufacturer announced a price hike, it would likely lose out on sales.
It is likely that the companies deliberately fanned the fears of consumers by spreading reports of a price hike, he said. [FULL STORY]
