A leading New Caledonian businessman and member of the territory's Congress says the government's recently announced price controls could lead to job losses.
The government has set profit margins on hundreds of consumer goods in an effort to curb the high cost of living.
One of the leaders of the anti-independence Future Together Party, Didier Leroux, says the price controls may reduce company profits as well as the government's income.
"There will be some casualties and there will be some companies which will make less profit perhaps lose some money. There will be a loss of fiscal income for the government. We'll see in a few months what the results are both on the cost of living and on the health of many companies."
Didier Leroux says by controlling prices the government may deter foreign companies from investing in New Caledonia.
