Wine prices - let's maximise on market forces

I would like first of all to congratulate you for your weekly column and for your Website.

I refer to wine prices. With effect from May 1, levies were removed on all imported wines; as a result foreign wine can be bought for around Lm2. However, this lower price has not yet been reflected in what restaurants charge for wine. To add insult to injury, a particular hotel chain had the nerve to increase both the local wine and the foreign wine. The local wine rose by Lm2 from Lm5.50 to Lm7.50 per bottle.

I know that restaurants are in a competitive market and therefore they should compete both on quality and on price, but it seems that they are in collusion whereby they have "agreed" that if no one reduces the price of wine then there will be no pressure on the rest to reduce their prices.

In that manner we consumers will be left with no choice, it's either paying the restaurant the cost of wine plus super normal profits of around 250% or else not taking any wine with their meal.

It is grossly unfair that the decrease in prices is enjoyed by the restaurant owners at the expense of us consumers. If you ask restaurant owners they will probably give you the excuse that they had a stock of wine on which they had paid the levy. However in response to this, I would like to make two points:

* Had the situation been reversed, i.e. prices gone up, most probably within a week, you would find the wine price list adjusted.

* Moreover, any businessman knew that the price of imported wine after May 1 would have gone down, so I imagine that none of them kept a huge amount of wine in stock. If they did so, the consumer should not pay for their mistakes.

What can we consumers do in this regard? Maybe through your Website or weekly column, a list of restaurants who have adjusted their prices to reflect the decrease in cost can be published. In that way we will start making pressure on other restaurants to follow suit. (Christine Galea)

If you know of any restaurant where they have adjusted their prices please write to me. Moreover I appeal to restaurant owners wish to adjust their prices accordingly, to let me know so we can inform consumers through this column. In line with market forces, we will take our custom to such restaurants or other catering outlets.