MAINTENANCE OF SUPPLIES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES REGULATIONS

MAINTENANCE OF SUPPLIES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 117.10

MAINTENANCE OF SUPPLIES OF ESSENTIAL

COMMODITIES REGULATIONS

21st February, 1957

GOVERNMENT NOTICE 133 of 1957, as amended by Government

Notices 149 and 298 of 1958; and Legal Notices 7 of 1959, 40 of 1960, 15

of 1964, 19 of 1965, 22 and 24 of 1977, and 409 of 2007.

The title of these regulations is the Maintenance of

Supplies of Essential Commodities Regulations.

Bread

Butter

Cheese

Coffee

Edible oil (except oil in small containers)

Eggs in shell

Lard and lard substitute

Laundry soap

Margarine

MAINTENANCE OF SUPPLIES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

Matches

Meat, including canned meat

Milk, unsweetened tinned (except powdered milk)

Mill offals

Rice

Tea

Tomato paste

Kerosene

Benzine

Gas oil

Fuel oil

Coal

Salt, coarse

Yeast.

In these regulations the expression ''essential commodity''

shall have the same meaning as that assigned to the expression

''essential goods'' by article 2 of the Supplies and Services Act and

shall also include the commodities specified in the Schedule hereto,

and in the Schedule to the Rationing Regulations; and ''Minister''

means the Minister responsible for Trade.

Any person who enters into any combination with any

other person with intent, otherwise than in conformity with an

order issued by a competent authority -

(a) to raise the price; or

(b) to prevent the sale; or

(c) to impose any unauthorised conditions,

on the sale, of any essential commodity shall, independently of

whether or not such person succeeds in the intent, be guilty of an

offence against these Regulations.

If any person, who habitually trades or deals in any

essential commodity or is habitually concerned in the supply or

distribution thereof, either alone or in combination with other

persons, performs any act or omits to perform any act knowing or

having reasonable cause to believe that such act or omission is

likely to deprive the community of the supply or the regular supply

of any essential commodity, shall be guilty of an offence against

these Regulations.

Without prejudice to the power to give directions under

regulation 7 of these Regulations and under regulation 41 of the

Rationing Regulations, the Minister may, by an order published in

the Gazette require any person who habitually trades or deals in any

essential commodity or is habitually concerned in the supply or

distribution thereof, or who has in his possession or under his

control any quantity of an essential commodity, to make returns of

the disposal, stocks and balances of any such commodity to the

Minister, at such times and in such form as may be prescribed in the

order.

MAINTENANCE OF SUPPLIES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

The Minister may authorise in writing any person or

persons to inspect, at any reasonable time, the books, documents,

stocks and premises of any person dealing or trading in essential

commodities. Any person who hinders or obstructs any duly

authorised person or persons in the performance of his or their

duties under this regulation shall be guilty of an offence.

The Minister may give such directions to any person

making use of, or having under his control or usually trading in or

importing essential commodities, as he considers necessary for the

maintenance and control, production, distribution, use or

consumption of essential commodities. Failure to comply with any

such directions shall constitute a breach of these Regulations.

Any person who contravenes the provisions of regulations

5, 6 and 7 or who knowingly submits an incorrect return for the

purpose of regulation 5, shall be guilty of an offence against these

Regulations.

The Minister may, in his direction, exempt one or more

traders, or one of more classes of traders generally or in respect of

one or more essential commodities specified by him, from the

obligations imposed on them by regulation 4.

Any person guilty of an offence against these Regulations

shall on conviction by the Court of Magistrates (Malta) or the Court

of Magistrates (Gozo) sitting as a Court of Criminal Judicature, be

liable to a fine (multa) of not less than two hundred and thirty-two

euros and ninety-four cents (232.94) but not exceeding one

thousand and one hundred and sixty-four euros and sixty-nine cents

(1,164.69), or to imprisonment for a period of not less than one

month but not exceeding three months, or to both such fine and

such imprisonment.

Without prejudice to the penalties prescribed in regulation

10, the said Court, may, on the application of the prosecution, order

the cancellation or the suspension of any licence issued to any

person convicted under these regulations for the exercise of any

trade or business connected with the sale of the essential

commodity to which the offence relates.