30 March 2020 – Public empowered to report price gouging

Type of Intervention: New Tool / Service / Body
Sectors Involved: Supply Chains, Private Sector and Businesses
Intervention Categories: Legal and policy; New initiatives
Level of Jurisdiction: National
Lead People/Agency: Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Overview: A hotline email has been launched to report price gouging by essential businesses during nation wide lockdown. Although the Prime Minister has seen no evidence of price gouging, the public has been urged to report any instances so that it can be investigated under the Fair Trading Act.
Full details here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/412949/public-able-to-report-price-gouging-during-covid-19-outbreak-pm

Type of Justification: Public opinion (lack of empirical evidence specifically mentioned)
Source of Evidence or Justification: National – other