Fiji's Chamber of Commerce says blanket price controls aren't helping the poor and Fiji needs to concentrate on a free market economy instead.
Concerns have been raised by Consumer International over the weekend at a symposium in Fiji over how the government's price control affect the poor.
The president of the chamber, Swani Maharaj, says vouchers have their purpose in helping the poor, but price control isn't necessary.
"Price control is not the way to go about doing business. In a free market economy, the business should be open and we have many players, and by supplying competition the prices should by itself come down. But one of the factors the government needs to look after is its poor population. For them the government should provide special coupons or facilities to help them. But government should not have a blanket price control which benefits the rich and poor both, and government loses out on tax and customs tariff."
President of Fiji's Chamber of Commerce, Swani Maharaj
