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Last week Friday, we showed you proof that although the increase in price of sugar takes effect on New Year's Day, grocers are already trying to gouge the consumer by hiking up the price prematurely.

That's illegal, and punishable by a fine of $1,000 or an imprisonment of up to 6 months, or both, but even though there is stiff penalties for this crime, retailers are still taking the risk. That's because they know that the Bureau of Standards, which is responsible for consumer protection, is infamously lacking in enforcement capabilities.

Yesterday we caught up with the Director of the Bureau, and we asked him about what his department is doing to dissuade those crooked retailers from breaking the law and chancing you the customer. Here's how that conversation went:

Jose Trejo - Director, Bureau of Standards

"Last 2 weeks we have been conducting inspections across the country, mainly Belize City; not across the country because soon we will have to cover certain areas but the areas we have touches so far is Belize City, San Ignacio and Belmopan. We have inspected roughly about 35 stores across these municipalities and what we have been trying to do is ensure 1.) The supply is there for sugar. 2.) They have not increased the price of sugar. We have had so far only 4 complaints that have been issued or have been received at the department, majority of what we are hearing in the media cannot be looked at as an official complaint so. While we are complementing our inspections with the official complaints, that is what we have done so far. We have come across stores that have been increasing the price, we have informed those stores that they have to desist from that. We have a situation where those have been followed up on and where they have now those stores are actually now are not displaying the price. First they were displaying the price and out rightly increasing the price on the consumer. Now that we have visited them, they're not showing the price. We will definitely take some drastic measures before the end of this week."

Daniel Ortiz

"Who's to say that this situation is not wider spread than you even know? And those spot checks your officers are doing is not efficient because the grocer could simply change the price when you all show up; they wouldn't be caught."

Jose Trejo - Director, Bureau of Standards

"We're looking at how we can collaborate with other agencies. As a matter of fact, just this morning one agency has extended its resources to assist us in ensuring that we can have much more coverage than we are having right now. This morning alone we have inspected at random about 10, 15 stores in Belize City. The resources are limited, so we do what we can. Maybe so as we turn our backs a merchant may very well engage in scrupulous activities. That happens on a regular basis."

Trejo also told us that his officers will work with other law enforcement agencies to conduct sting operations on grocers suspected of breaking the law. So, what about those 2 receipts we showed you last night, which prove that those shop owners broke the law? Well, as you heard, reports in the media are not considered as formal complaints by the Bureau, and even if they were, the law requires that they be given a first warning for breaking the law.