CONSUMER AFFAIRS ACT (PRICE INDICATION) [ S.L.378.09 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 378.09
CONSUMER AFFAIRS ACT (PRICE INDICATION) 
REGULATIONS
1st October, 2002
LEGAL NOTICE 283 of 2002.
Citation.
(Price Indication) Regulations.
In exercise of the powers conferred by article 7 of the Consumer
Affairs Act, the Minister for Economic Services, after consulting
the Consumer Affairs Council, has made the following regulations:
Interpretation.
Cap. 378.
2. (1) Any reference in these regulations to the "Act" is a
reference to the Consumer Affairs Act and, subject to the
provisions of subregulation (2), the provisions of article 2 of the
said Act shall apply to these regulations.
(2) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:
"annual percentage rate" shall be the rate established in terms of
regulations issued under article 7( f ) of the Act;
"consumer" shall include any final purchaser;
"price" means the purchase price, and in all cases, the price
indication must be the final retail selling or unit price, including
VAT and any other taxes or charges.
"products sold in bulk" mean products which are not pre-
packaged and are weighed and measured at the request of the
consumer.
Rights of 
consumers.
3. (1) Consumers have the right to receive adequate, correct
and unambiguous information regarding the price of goods sold or
offered for sale to them, and to be able to make informed decisions
on the basis of simple comparison.
(2) The provisions of subregulation (1) shall not be directly
enforceable in any court or tribunal, but shall be adhered to in the
interpretation and implementation these regulations.
Obligation to 
indicate prices of 
goods.
4. Any trader who offers goods for sale on a retail basis to
consumers shall display by means of appropriate marking, or by
other methods clearly indicate, the price of the goods so offered.
Price indications.
business a sample of every kind, size, type or brand of goods
stocked by him, and each such sample shall bear a label or mark
showing the price at which any goods are being offered for sale.
(2) Every indication of a price required in terms of these
regulations shall be made and displayed in a manner which is
unambiguous, easily identifiable and clearly legible.
(3) The figure denoting the price on the said label or mark shall
be clearly and boldly printed or otherwise indicated in writing.
2 [ S.L.378.09 CONSUMER AFFAIRS ACT (PRICE INDICATION)
(4) Any kind, size, type or brand of goods displayed in the
shop-window, or on the outside of the premises, shall bear the
relative selling price label as required by the preceding
subregulations:
Provided that, where more than one item of the same kind,
size, type or brand of the same goods are so displayed, it will be
sufficient for the price to be shown on only one of such items.
(5) In respect of any goods including foodstuffs which are sold
or offered for sale to consumers per unit weight or volume, there
shall be indicated -
( a ) both the actual price (being the price for a given
quantity of the good);
( b ) and the unit price (being the final price for one
kilogram, one litre, one metre, one square metre, or
one cubic metre of the goods).
(6) Pre-packaged goods, including foodstuffs, sold in pre-
established or variable quantities must show both the selling price
and the unit price.
(7) Products sold in bulk must show the unit price.
(8) In the case of a pre-packaged solid food product presented
in a liquid medium, the unit price shall refer to the net drained
weight of the product. Where a unit price is also given with
reference to the net weight of the product, it shall be clearly
indicated which unit price relates to net drained weight and which
to net weight.
(9) The indication of any charges for postage, package or
delivery of a good shall be unambiguous, easily identifiable and
clearly legible.
(10) The indication of the price and of the unit price as required
under these regulations shall be in Maltese currency.
Exemption from 
regulations.
6. (1) The provisions of regulation 5 shall not apply to: 
( a ) goods supplied for the purpose of re-selling;
( b ) goods sold in the course of the provision of a service;
( c ) sales by auction or sales of works of art or antiques;
( d ) an advertisement for such goods, unless the selling
price is indicated in the advertisement.
(2) The Director may, from time to time, by notice published in
the Gazette exempt any additional goods or categories thereof from
any of the provisions of these regulations, which may include the
exemption of categories of goods from the obligation to display
also the unit price.
(3) The Director may, in particular circumstances where he is
satisfied that adherence thereto would be excessively onerous, by
notice published in the Gazette, exempt small retail businesses or
such other categories of traders as shall be specified, generally or in
respect of one or more goods as may be specified in the notice,
from the obligation to display the unit price in terms of these
CONSUMER AFFAIRS ACT (PRICE INDICATION) [ S.L.378.09 3
regulations, subject to such conditions as he shall deem
appropriate.
Power of Director.
Director may, in respect of any goods offered for sale to
consumers, impose any such other additional specific requirements
or conditions as he may deem fit regarding the manner in which
prices and other information are indicated or displayed, including
limitations on the information that may be indicated or displayed,
and the trader concerned shall be obliged to comply accordingly.
Submission of 
information.
8. Traders shall produce to the Director or to any officer duly
authorized by him in writing, such information as may be required
by the Director acting in pursuance of any of his functions under
these regulations, in such form and within such reasonable time as
the Director may establish.
Offences. 
any of the provisions of any of these regulations shall be guilty of
an offence.
(2) Proceedings in respect of an offence against these
regulations shall be commenced within four months from the
commission of the offence.
(3) Any person who contravenes any of these regulations shall,
on conviction, be liable:
( a ) in the case of a first conviction, to a fine of not less
than fifty liri and not exceeding five hundred liri;
Cap. 441.
( b ) in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a
fine of not less than fifty liri and not exceeding five
hundred liri and to the suspension of any licence or
other authorization, howsoever described, issued by
the Director or any licence issued in terms of the
Trading Licences Act, or any other law for a period not
exceeding one week; and the Court may in case of a
second or subsequent conviction order the publication
in one or more daily newspapers of any judgment, or a
statement or summary thereof, passed on the offender.
Responsibility of 
traders.
10. Every trader shall take all necessary steps to ensure full
compliance with these regulations; and even where any
contravention of or non-compliance with any regulation may be
attributed to any person in the employment of such trader, or in the
exercise of any act or function authorized or permitted by the
trader, proceedings shall also be taken against such trader.
