Dec 07, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) says that it had earned Rs. 17 million in fines so far this year from the raids conducted in the Hambantota district.

The Authority has collected Rs. 17.71 million as fines from raids conducted in Hambantota District from January 2012 to November 30.

The CAA has earned the revenues by conducting 577 raids on both government and private businesses that were found violating consumer laws.

The raids have been carried out on traders who have violated the Consumer Protection Act by not displaying the retail prices, selling expired products, selling at a higher price than the marked selling over the government price controls price and selling substandard goods.

The CAA has deployed special teams in main cities across the country to conduct raids. The Authority recently recruited 52 graduates to expand the raids during the holiday season in a move to protect the rights of the consumers from unscrupulous traders.