Their "Booking Fee"

Fiji Merchants Lose Their "Booking Fee"

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Feb. 1.

A BILL to amend the “Prices of Goods Ordinance” will be submitted to Legislative Council during its sitting commencing on February 16. The amend ment is to repeal sub-section 5 of section 4 of the Ordinance.

Under that sub-section, traders were entitled to charge, in addition to the maximum selling prices fixed by the Competent Authority, an additional sum not exceeding 5 per cent, of the price of any goods sold when the sale was other wise than for cash. Practically all stores in Fiji took advantage of this section and charged the 5 per cent, “booking fee” on all credit sales, with the provision that a discount of 2i per cent, would be allowed for payment of the account on or before the last day of the month fol lowing that in which the goods were delivered. , . , The matter of this “booking fee” has been a vexed one for some time, and the consuming public will, of course, be in sympathy with the proposed amendment.

The total amount by which the stores in Fiji have gained by reason of the charge for the “booking fee” on credit sales since its inauguration on January 1, 1942, must represent a considerable sum.

Some objection by the stores can be expectecf to the proposal for its discon tinuance. The Suva Chamber of Com merce is holding a special meeting on February 6 to consider the proposed amendment.

February 25.

WHEN the Bill to amend the “booking fee” clause of the Goods Ordinance was brought up in the Legislative Council during the last week the debate was long, and at times, heated.

Mr. Ramsay Main, Deputy-Chairman of Supply and Production Board, intro duced the Bill. He stated that the fee was no longer justified.

Principal opponent to the amendment was Mr. W. G. Johnson. He admitted that the proposed legislation would be popu lar—but contended that popularity alone did not justify the abolition of the fee— which would in effect deny to those who extended credit the opportunity of mak ing a reasonable charge for it. He wanted to know why, if the fee were con sidered desirable at the time it was intro duced, it was now considered unjustified.

Indian members were all for the removal of the fee, as were most other members. Mr. Johnson asked that if the Bill were passed there should be some delay before it came into operation, in order to give merchants an opportunity to make arrangements for the change over.

With the amendment that the Bill should not come into force until March 1, it was finally passed.