Paulina Quintao – Deputy Minister for Industry and the Environment Abel da Costa Ximenes says the government will not intervene to regulate prices for goods as sales tax produces revenue for the state.
Ximenes said sellers had the right to determine prices for their goods based on wholesale and import costs. "We cannot regulate prices for uniformity in the government as that is the right of the sellers not the government," he said."
He said the government had an obligation to assist businesspeople to negotiate and arrange documents.
Consumer Agostinha da Costa said the government must ensure basic necessities are accessible to Timorese. Prices for the same goods varied greatly between shops, she said.
She called on the government to compel vendors to standardize prices. "At the market noodles and Bimoli oil have different prices; some are more expensive," she said.
Small business owner Jose do Carmo Pinto said the government should teach producers and vendors how to price goods to ensure a free market.