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Tribune News Network
Doha
THE Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has intensified its inspection campaign targeting malls amid the launch of the second edition of the Qatar shopping festival.
The inspection campaign resulted in 21 fines ranging between QR5,000 and QR6,000 for violations, including missing Arabic advertisements and discount statements, non-licensed promotions, failure to display prices before and after discounts, missing service price tags, failure to display the percentage of discounts, missing Arabic labels and failure to display the license in a prominent place.
The inspection campaign seeks to ensure compliance of retail outlets with their obligations under law No 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection and Ministerial Decision No 5 of 1984 on discounted sales.
The campaign comes within the framework of the Ministry's efforts to monitor markets and commercial activities as well as to crackdown on price manipulation, uncover violations and monitor discounts and promotions, especially during Shop Qatar Festival.
The MEC has stressed that retail outlet managers and similar stores should adopt without any further delay the"Shop with Confidence" mark when it comes to announcing discounts and promotional offers.
The mark should be placed on invoices presented to customers as it represents clear proof to consumers that the concerned shop has obtained the required license from the Ministry and that promotions and discounts are being offered in line with applicable laws and legal regulations.
The Ministry has warned retailers that have valid licences against fake and misleading discounts and practices that harm consumers.
The Ministry stressed that it will not tolerate any violations of the Consumer Protection Law and its regulations and will intensify its inspection campaigns to crackdown on violations.
Moreover, the MEC has urged consumers to compare the product price before and after the discount and promotional period. Consumers are entitled to inspect the product label for the discount percentage as well as the actual and discounted price. Consumers should also ask for a detailed invoice with the actual and discounted price.
The Ministry also urged all consumers to report violations or submit complaints and suggestions through its various channels.
