Polish consumer watchdog probes price rises after storms

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is checking whether suppliers engaged in price fixing or abused their dominant position on the market.

Officials said claims of price hikes had appeared on social media.

During a visit to areas devastated by the storms, Prime Minister Beata Szydło appealed to businesses not to take advantage of the crisis to boost their profits.

Across the north of the country, six people were killed, 2,000 homes destroyed and some 45,000 hectares of trees knocked down by raging storms in August.

Power was cut to more than half a million people at one point.

Szydło said last month that Poland’s 2018 budget would earmark more funds for disasters.

(pk)

Source: IAR