Unscrupulous traders, in Southall and elsewhere, have started to take advantage of the coronavirus situation to demand extortionate prices for basic items.

Supermarkets Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Lidl go on hiring spree because business is very good. Their prices remain the same. Yet local traders, big and small, have started to charge extortionate prices.

A local business man who buys a lot of meat for his restaurant has stated that his local meat supplier has NOT increased prices. The local butchers buy their meat from the same supplier. Yet the local butchers have raised their prices by a HUGE amount.

He cannot see why the prices have increased at all. The only explanation can be GREED. They have “no corporate social responsibility” he said.

Chillies for £15 per kilo?
Can of chick peas for £1.50?
Mince for £16 per kg?

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, has offered £1 million to help people in need at this time. He tweeted: “I’ve put £1 million in a fund to provide grants of £5k to £20k to small UK charities who are doing/want to do immediate Coronavirus poverty relief. Please share to let any charities who may want to apply know.”

What do the big and small businesses in Southall do?
They want to rip off their EXISTING customers.
Sales are UP and the prices are even HIGHER.
That is despicable behaviour.
They are turning a bad situation into a CRISIS.

They are kicking us, when we are down.
When we get up, we ought to give them TWO kicks up their back side.
Why wait?
Do it NOW.

The following is what Dalawar Majid Chaudhry, Director of the TKC Group, had to say:

Our late father and Chairman of TKC Group Dr Abdul Majid Chaudhry’s ethos was that of standing by, caring for the elderly, vulnerable and impoverished members of our community.

It is with great dismay that we at TKC note the shameless onslaught on shoppers by unscrupulous traders.

As Director of the TKC Group, I reiterate our firm commitment to adhere to our Corporate Social Responsibility . All our prices have been drastically reduced. This is in sharp contrast to our fellow traders who are pursuing a policy of immoral profiteering. And this at a time when we need to pull together and show understanding and compassion.

For our part, I have ensured that our customers have ready access to nutritous and healthy food at absolute cost price.

Furthermore those members of the community who are unable to afford hot meals are being provided free of charge.

May the Almighty keep you all safe.