The Inspector General of the National Police has called on regional commissioners to take decisive action against traders and transport operators violating the law by inflating prices of essential goods and public transport fares. In a strongly worded directive, Joseph Ninteretse expressed frustration over the complacency of police commissioners in addressing the situation.
The correspondence highlights sharp price increases for BRARUDI products, sugar, cement, and public transport tickets. Ninteretse criticized those exploiting the population for illicit enrichment, emphasizing the urgent need for enforcement of official pricing regulations.
“Recently, we have observed exaggerated price hikes on BRARUDI products, cement, sugar, and public transport tickets nationwide. These actions, driven by greed, harm the population and occur under the passive watch of your teams,” said Ninteretse in a statement later on Tuesday.
He instructed regional commissioners to enforce official prices immediately and warned of penalties for non-compliance. “A detailed report on this matter must be submitted daily by 7:30 a.m. Any failure to adhere to this directive will be sanctioned according to the law,” he said.
The Inspector General also ordered widespread dissemination of the directive to all municipal police commissioners.
This crackdown follows measures by the governor of Kayanza Province, who recently suspended operating licenses for several bars and bistros over similar issues. The move was praised by ABUCO, the Burundian Consumer Association, which previously called on consumers to report price speculation to relevant authorities.
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