Investigative authorities in China have reported another case of price-gouging in a seafood restaurant, one of a flurry of cases that have come into the public eye recently.
A statement from the Shichang Jian Guan Ju (Market Supervision Bureau) in Xiamen, China – one of China’s leading seafood production and consumption cities – pointed to an incident involving a Mr. Chen, who was charged CNY 800 (USD 116, EUR 110) for a plate of abalone. The charge was in addition to a set meal charge of CNY 2,500 (USD 363, EUR 343), with the restaurant giving no notice to the customer that there would be an additional charge for the abalone.
Seafood overpricing and misleading pricing have both become particular sources of problems for China’s unfair trading supervisors, including the Market Supervision Bureau, which has offices in cities nationwide. Their statement included a warning to consumers to be aware of overcharging by seafood restaurants.
Chinese authorities have pursued a crackdown campaign since 2012 against price-gouging as well as government banqueting. However, the campaign is gradually being wound down ahead of the scheduled reshuffle at the top levels of the Chinese Communist Party in the second half of the year. Economists have predicted that China will put off major economic reforms as it seeks to seek to pump up the economy in advance of the power transfer.
The Economist Intelligence Unit has forecasted national economic growth of 6.2 percent in 2017.
