Arvind Kejriwal will hold a press conference today to discuss fuel prices, claiming petrol should cost Rs 82/litre but is sold at Rs 102/litre. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri acknowledged price cuts are a possibility if crude oil prices remain stable, noting oil companies absorbed significant losses previously.
The Kerala state consumer commission ruled Bata India liable for charging Rs 67 above the MRP on shoes. The commission found Bata guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice for failing to display updated pricing stickers after a tax increase.
A district consumer commission in Aligarh has ordered a cigarette manufacturer and a retailer to deposit Rs 10 lakh in a consumer welfare fund for charging a customer Rs 20 over the printed MRP on a packet of Classic brand cigarettes.
India's Competition Commission (CCI) has dismissed allegations against 12 Delhi hospitals for inflating healthcare charges, stating price regulation is the government's domain. The ruling, which follows a decade-long investigation, is criticized for potentially overlooking consumer protection mandates in the $372-billion healthcare industry.
A street vendor in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem district was fined 225,000 VND for overcharging a foreign tourist 430,000 VND for 10 fried cakes. The vendor admitted to the act and will return the money. This incident highlights ongoing issues of tourists being overcharged in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
An AI system used to calculate healthcare contributions for Kenyans has been systematically overcharging the poorest households while undercharging wealthy ones, an investigation has found. The Social Health Authority (SHA) launched in October 2024 uses a flawed proxy means testing algorithm that has left millions unable to afford care, with some facing charges of 10-20% of their meagre incomes.
Corporate Travel Management (CTM), the Australian company that ran the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge, has admitted to overcharging the British government by £118m. The company discovered erroneous billing for UK clients, including overcharging for quarantine hotel rooms during the pandemic and asylum seeker accommodation. Former UK chief executive Michael Healy was dismissed for breach of contractual obligations, and founder Jamie Pherous retired in February. The Home Office has recouped over £70m so far.
HM Revenue and Customs has confirmed it will appeal against a London tax tribunal ruling that would cut VAT on public electric car chargers from 20% to 5%. The tribunal found last month that VAT should have been charged at the lower rate, potentially saving drivers hundreds of pounds annually. The appeal maintains a disparity where home chargers pay 5% VAT while public chargers pay 20%, with the Treasury currently collecting £85m/year from the difference, projected to rise to £315m by 2030.
