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Bakeries are being urged to lower the price of bread after a decision to exempt Hong Kong from an export tax on mainland flour.
When the tax was announced last week, many bakeries immediately raised their prices.
Connie Lau Yin-hing, chief executive of the Consumer Council, said she hoped retailers would cut prices in response to the decision of the State Council's Customs Tariff Commission on Tuesday.
'We are concerned that some bakeries raised the price due to the export tax on flour,' Ms Lau said. 'Now the tax is lifted and they should restore their original price.'
She said bread was a basic and important product for the public, and urged shops to show corporate social responsibility by maintaining fair prices.
Lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming, a member of the Consumer Council, suggested a boycott of shops that did not restore their prices.
'I am so disappointed to see that some shops have refused to lower their prices. The excuses they gave us show they are irresponsible. We can only buy bread at honest bakeries and boycott dishonest ones.'
Yip Wai-ting, owner of Dragon Ball Bakery in Quarry Bay, said he would not cut prices because his  other costs had risen. 'Oil, eggs and sugar are so expensive now that we cannot lower the retail price again.'
Mr Yip raised the price of his bread by about 20 per cent after the flour tax was introduced, but he said the price of one 22kg bag of flour dropped yesterday from around HK$150 to HK$130.
He said customers were quite understanding and business had not been affected.
A spokeswoman for Maxim Bakery said the group was closely monitoring news of the flour supply and its prices were under review.
But she added there was pressure to raise the prices of its products because the cost of ingredients was sharply rising.
Lam Soon Hong Kong Group Flour Division, one of the major flour suppliers in Hong Kong, said the firm was aware that the mainland policy  would not apply to Hong Kong.
'We only adjust flour prices slightly due to the rising prices of raw materials such as wheat. But we surely do not push the price up by 25 per cent, as we know the tax policy is not applied to the city,' the company said.



Bakeries urged to lower prices