Hanoi: The Nando Regional Trade Directorate, supported by the Mobile Brigade for Economic Control and Fraud Repression (BMCRF) and the Defense and Security Forces (FDS), conducted a large-scale operation in Koudougou on Monday to control the prices and quality of consumer goods, accompanied by sanctions against several traders for illegal commercial practices. This outing revealed numerous irregularities which led to sanctions against several traders.According to Burkina Information Agency, the regional director of Commerce for Nando, Sibou Sou, stated that this operation is part of an instruction from higher authorities aimed at verifying compliance with price regulations throughout the country. "We have observed a general increase in the prices of certain consumer goods. That is why we went out to check the price levels charged in shops," he explained.Inspections carried out in several neighborhoods of the city revealed illegal pricing practices. The regional official cited the case of Citec soap, a lar ge bar of which is sold in some shops for between 450 and 500 FCFA, while the authorized price should not exceed 375 FCFA. The small ball, on the other hand, should not exceed 275 FCFA. Irregularities were also found in cooking oil and other everyday consumer products.In addition to price-related violations, inspection teams discovered prohibited alcoholic beverages in several stores, including certain brands of vodka whose sale is banned. Despite awareness campaigns already conducted by the relevant authorities, these products continue to be offered for sale, often targeting young consumers.In response to these violations, several shops were sealed off. The owners or managers concerned received summonses to appear before the Trade Department with supporting documents for their businesses. They were also required to participate for one week in the activities of the Faso-Mêbo Presidential Initiative, in accordance with measures adopted by the authorities.In the businesses visited, managers acknowledged t he observations made by the inspectors. One shopkeeper stated that the agents asked him to clearly display product prices and comply with regulated tariffs. Another claimed he was asked to remove prohibited alcoholic beverages from his shelves and to regularize his situation with the relevant authorities.The regional director of commerce also urged merchants to comply with current regulations and avoid any price gouging on consumer goods. He further encouraged the public to report cases of fraud or price gouging through the toll-free numbers provided. This monitoring operation should continue in the coming days in order to further clean up business practices and protect consumers' purchasing power.