The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has disclosed that all the products in the Abuja-based Chinese Supermarket carried price tags in Yuan – the Chinese official currency.
The acting Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Adamu Abdullahi, made this disclosure in an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, April 28.
The Chinese supermarket policy is against the law in Nigeria and implies a violation of Nigerian law, the FCCPC said.
The commission said it was still considering appropriate sanctions to be meted out to the owner of the supermarket, Liu Bei, for not allowing Nigerians to shop at the facility.
Mr Abdullahi added that the owner had also been mandated to post an open-to-all-customers notice.
Recall that Nigerians, last Sunday, kicked over the policy of the supermarket restricting entry solely to Chinese nationals.
The report elicited widespread condemnation, as Nigerians voiced their concerns over the discriminatory treatment.
Abdullahi said: “Yes, she (Liu Bei) came to the commission in time and we went to the supermarket with her; she opened it and the discoveries were just enormous.
“The Chinese embassy and Chamber of Commerce were there represented.
“We discovered that all the products were labelled in Yuan and that is the only currency they accept.
“That is against the law in Nigeria. We don’t sell products in foreign currency. Everything sold in Nigeria should be in its currency.
“And then, the issue of discrimination, that they only allow Chinese into the supermarket has been confirmed.
“We have now instructed that she must put up a notice in front of that shop that says, everybody can go into the supermarket and shop.
“Also the issue of Yuan and the display of prices. We are discussing with her to put things right.”
Mr Abdullahi added: “At the same time, we are also discussing sanctions because a wrong has been done and bad behaviours lead to consequences.
“So, we would look at our law and find out what those consequences are and apply them.”
