complaints from merchants and consumers about unfair or misleading pricing practices by major platforms. The draft regulations, covering platforms that sell goods or services, are intended to promote price transparency and fairness, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.

According to the draft, platform operators and merchants must “agree on and change prices through standardised means such as contracts and orders,” the commission said.

The rules also require platform operators and merchants to “adhere to clear pricing regulations, increase transparency in pricing policies, and promptly disclose fee changes to better allow public oversight.”

Merchants have long accused large platforms of unfairly manipulating prices to boost sales, while consumers have complained of misleading pricing practices. In 2021, Alibaba was fined a record USD 2.75 billion for anti-monopoly violations — a decision the company said it accepted. Meanwhile, leading e-commerce firms this year have downplayed regulatory risks as they continue to battle in “instant retail,” where deliveries can be made in as little as half an hour. (Reuters)