EXECUTIVE YUAN MONITORS IF BUSINESES HAVE COORDINATED PRICE RISE |物價蠢動 政院嚴防聯合哄抬

The new days-off system has driven up labor costs, and consumer prices with them. The Executive Yuan called a cross-ministry meeting on this issue on the afternoon of the 4th and announced that it will strictly monitor coordinated price gouging behavior. It also emphasized that many companies are already offering two days off a week and will not suffer increased costs under the new system. The Central Bank is also forecasting an acceptable inflation rate this year and a minimal rise in prices. Since the implementation of the new policy governing days off, the Executive Yuan has repeatedly stressed that the policy is labor-friendly and protects resting days for workers. Many companies, however, say that the policy will bring increased costs that will be passed on to the consumer. The Executive Yuan has announced that the Fair Trade Commission will strictly monitor the market for coordinated price gouging. ==LIN HSI-YAO Vice Premier== We are concerned about anticipatory price gouging and increases, so we will strictly monitor changes in prices. A National Development Council survey shows that the impact of the new policy on manufacturers is smaller, as many manufacturers already offered two days off. The impact on the service industry is larger, but still limited. ==KUNG MING-HSIN Dep. Minister, NDC== Domestically-focused service industries are a bigger part of people's daily lives, so the impact is felt more deeply and strongly. The Central Bank is forecasting an acceptable rate of inflation for this coming year. ==PERNG FAI-NAN Central Bank Governor== This year's inflation will be between 1.26% and 1.46%. This is an acceptable range. The Executive Yuan says that, even with higher prices, workers are still benefitting from higher overtime pay, but that it does not want companies to raise prices using the new policy as an excuse. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said that it would further discuss and mitigate the controversy with industry groups. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 一例一休勞工政策上路，行政院多次強調保障休假、對勞工有利，但不少企業還是聲稱，得付出更多加班費，揚言將成本增加情形、反應在物價上，對此，行政院表示，已要求公平會嚴加監控，市場聯合哄抬物價行為。 ==行政院副院長 林錫耀== 物價就怕大家有預期的心理 炒作 哄抬 對物價的波動 我們會高度的監視 依據國發會調查，一例一休上路後製造業因原本周休二日比例較高，企業成本增加相對較小；服務業影響比較大，但衝擊也有限。 ==國發會副主委 龔明鑫== 內需型的服務業 跟民眾的日常生活比較密切 所以感受比較深刻跟強烈 而央行也預估，今年通貨膨脹率都還在可接受範圍。 ==央行總裁 彭淮南== 我們今年的通膨 是在1.26%到1.46%之間 還是在可以接受的範圍之內 行政院表示，即便物價調漲，增加的加班費其實都回饋在勞工身上，但不希望業者藉周休二日刻意調漲物價，經濟部也將與工商團體再協商、消弭爭議。 記者 王琪如 陳信隆 台北報導