Source: Al-Bayan
The Ministry of Economy confirmed yesterday that immediate fines of up to about 100 thousand dirhams against manipulative shops at the prices of disinfectants and sterilizers, stressing that they will not tolerate any violating place and take advantage of the precautionary measures taken by the state to confront the Coronavirus Covid 19.
The Ministry revealed today that it has issued violations of a number of shops selling disinfectants and disinfectants in the country to raise the prices of their commodities, especially gags, stressing that they will not tolerate any violating place.
The Ministry stressed that the measures that it takes regarding violators and manipulators in the markets come in implementation of the Consumer Protection Law issued in 2006 and it\’s executive regulations for 2007, noting that these measures include immediate fines with a value ranging from 5 to 100 thousand dirhams, according to the size and type of the violation, until closing in the event Repeat the same violation from the single port.
Dr. Hashem Al-Nuaimi, Director of Competition and Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, revealed to reporters that the Ministry has carried out many inspection campaigns in cooperation with the competent authorities, on a large number of shops selling disinfectants and sterilizers, and it became clear that some of them raised the prices of their goods, as a result of increasing demand for them Because of the precautionary measures implemented by all entities, companies, the government and the private sector to confront the spread of Corona Virus Covid 19.
Al-Naimi pointed out that the inspection campaigns on the outlets for the sale of sterilization and hygiene goods are continuing, noting that these campaigns come within the ministry\’s plan to deal with the markets and prevent any exploitation occurring as a result of the price increase if the demand rises, calling on consumers to immediately report any outlet that increases the price of goods and that By communicating with the Ministry of Consumer Rights Center on the number 600522225, Al-Nuaimi called on consumers to play their supervisory role on the market and that supervision comes first from the consumer as he is the first to discover any manipulations or price increases.
Al-Naimi demanded the sales outlets in the state not to raise the prices of masks and sterilization materials with the high demand for them in the current period, indicating that exploiting the case of high consumer demand for these materials and raising their prices is a practice in violation of the provisions of the relevant laws.
He pointed out that raising the prices of any consumer or food commodity passes through a series of procedures that first include submitting an application from the sales outlet to raise the prices of the commodity and the Ministry of Economy looks at the reasons and justifications for the increase and communicates with the supplier and learns the price of the commodity from the source, and then the ministry submits a report to the committee Supreme Council for Consumer Protection To decide on the request, the price of the commodity is not raised unless with the written consent of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection.
Al-Nuaimi said, \”We would like all sales centers to cooperate with the ministry and avoid making mistakes so as not to be subject to violations.\”