DEPARTMENTAL STORES AND SHOPS (Price standardisation and price tags)

Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for Finance if the Tourist Promotion Board will approach owners of departmental stores and shops to consider the standardisation of prices of goods on sale on their premises and the display of price tags so as to present Singapore as an excellent shopping centre in the eyes of tourists.

The Minister of State for Finance (Mr Tang See Chim) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry appreciates the need to provide courteous and honest shopping facilities to tourists to promote Singapore's image as an excellent shopping centre in this region.

However, it is not possible, or indeed desirable, in a free enterprise economy like ours, for Government or the Tourist Promotion Board to require standardisation of prices of goods sold on a retail basis by owners of departmental stores or shops. The Tourist Promotion Board is, however, considering, and has suggested to Government, amending legislation to enable them to confer Associate Membership of the Tourist Promotion Board upon shops, departmental stores and other tourist establishments which would follow a set code of ethics in their daily business dealings with tourists, and would display conspicuous price tags and issue receipts for purchases made. In this way, tourists could not be fleeced and any complaint of cheating could be investigated and properly dealt with. Associate Members could then be disciplined if found guilty of such acts, or deprived of Associate Membership and the benefits of the publicity campaigns which would be launched by the Board to advise tourists to buy only from establishments affiliated to the Board.