               INFLATION OF PRICES (PREVENTION)          [ CAP. 98.            1
CHAPTER 98
INFLATION OF PRICES (PREVENTION) 
ORDINANCE 
To provide for the prevention of the inflation of prices of certain
essential commodities.
(3rd February, 1939) *
Enacted by ORDINANCE IV of 1939, as amended by Ordinance XXV of
1962; Legal Notices: 4 of 1963, 46 of 1965; and Acts: LVIII of 1974, XI of
1977, and XIII of 1983.
Short title.
(Prevention) Ordinance.
Interpretation. 
Amended by: 
L.N. 4 of 1963.
2. In this Ordinance - 
the expression "essential commodities" includes articles of food
for man, feeding stuffs for animals, livestock, articles used in the
preparation of food for consumption and any other commodity
which the Minister responsible for industrial development shall
declare to be essential for the life of the community;
the expression "shop" includes any place where essential
commodities are stored or offered for sale.
Power of Minister 
to make 
regulations. 
Amended by: 
XXV.1962.4;
L.N. 4 of 1963; 
XI. 1977.2.
3. The Minister responsible for trade may, if he deems it
expedient in the interest of the population of Malta, make
regulations for any of the following purposes:
( a ) for fixing the maximum wholesale and retail prices of
essential commodities and for limiting the profit on the
sale thereof;
( b ) for ordering that no essential commodities shall be
sold at a price exceeding the corresponding price at a
date specified in the regulation, or at a price exceeding
by more than the amount fixed in the regulation, the
corresponding price at such specified date;
( c ) for directing that the prices and an indication of the
quality of essential commodities offered for sale to the
public shall be conspicuously exhibited on the goods
in such manner as may be provided in the regulations;
( d ) for providing that any person owning, possessing or
concerned in the importation, sale, manufacture or
production of any essential commodities shall make a
return of the essential commodities held by, consigned
to or on order by him, to any person or persons
authorized by the Minister responsible for trade, in
such form and within such time as such authorised
person or persons may require; and
( e ) generally, for giving directions for the purpose of
* See  Proclamation No. V of the 3rd of February, 1939.
  2        CAP. 98. ]         INFLATION OF PRICES (PREVENTION)  
checking abuses in the sale of essential commodities.
Appointment of 
Price Control 
Board. 
Amended by: 
L.N. 4 of 1963; 
L.N. 46 of 1965; 
LVIII.1974.68; 
XI.1977.2.
4. (1) The President of Malta may appoint a Board to be
called the Price Control Board, consisting of such persons as he
may appoint.
(2) Such Board shall advise the Minister responsible for trade
on any matter within the powers vested in him by this Ordinance,
and shall exercise such other functions as shall be assigned to it by
regulations under the last preceding section.
(3) The Prime Minister may appoint one or more persons
hereinafter referred to as "inspectors" to inspect weights and
measures, to supervise the sale of essential commodities, and to
ensure the observance of any regulations made under this
Ordinance.
Regulations to be 
published in 
Government 
Gazette.
5. All regulations made under this Ordinance shall be
published in the Government Gazette and shall have effect from the
date of such publication:
  Provided that for the purposes of this Ordinance such
publication shall be deemed to have taken place in any town or
village, as soon as a copy of the Government Notice containing the
regulation has been posted up on the notice board of any Police
station in that town or village.
Powers of 
inspectors.
6. (1) Any inspector may enter any shop and may seize from
any such shop or from any cart or other vehicle on which essential
commodities are hawked, or from the possession of any person
offering essential commodities for sale, any weights or measures
which he has reason to believe to be incorrect, and may extract
samples of foodstuffs, and examine any invoice, books or
correspondence referring to any essential commodity.
(2) The inspector shall pay for all samples extracted and taken
by him at the current market price and shall give a receipt for any
weight or measure seized by him.
Offences. 7. (1) Any person who obstructs or impedes an inspector in
the exercise of his powers under this Ordinance, or refuses to give
to an inspector his name and address and other particulars for the
purpose of his identification, shall be guilty of an offence against
this Ordinance.
(2) Any person who fails to comply with or acts in
contravention of any regulation made under this Ordinance shall be
guilty of an offence against this Ordinance.
(3) Any person who knowingly makes any false statement in
any return of essential commodities held or on order by him or
consigned to him, required to be made by regulations under this
Ordinance, shall be guilty of an offence against this Ordinance.
Penalties. 
Amended by: 
XIII. 1983.5
8. Any person who is guilty of an offence against this
Ordinance shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding three months or to a fine ( multa ) of not less
than five liri nor exceeding fifty liri or to both such imprisonment
               INFLATION OF PRICES (PREVENTION)          [ CAP. 98.            3
and fine:
  Provided that where the court is satisfied that the offence would
be adequately punished by a lesser penalty, the court may reduce
the fine in its discretion, but so that the fine shall in no case be less
than twenty-five cents:
  Provided, further, that in the case of a second or subsequent
offence against this Ordinance, the court may order that any licence
held by the offender for the sale of essential commodities, under
any law, shall be suspended for a period not exceeding three
months; any such order shall be published in the Government
Gazette and a copy thereof shall be affixed to the door or doors of
any shop in which the offence was committed and shall remain so
affixed for the whole period for which the order is in force.
