The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior, carried out a surprise inspection campaign of street vendors in the Corniche area in Doha and registered 12 violations.
The objective of the exercise was to monitor the compliance of the Ministerial Decree No. 243 of 2016 on the conditions and regulations governing the practice of street-vending activities.
The street vendors were issued notices for carrying out their activity without a commercial licence and referred to the security authorities to take legal action against them.
These campaigns are part of a series of initiatives launched by the MEC on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. The ministry had announced a plan of intensive and extensive inspection campaigns before, during and after the holy month of Ramadan to cover all regions of the country and various sectors and activities in order to monitor compliance with laws and regulations governing the conduct of commercial activities, and control irregularities and to detect abuses.
The MEC had issued, in November last year, guidelines to regulate the work of street vendors and peddlers in the country, specifying the permissible activities, requirements, and the standards and conditions for issuing a licence.
The objective is to upgrade the services offered to the public by street vendors and peddlers and guarantee adherence to the laws and regulations governing the various commercial activities in the country.
Street vendor is defined as a person who engages in a commercial activity and requires a shop or an office to obtain a licence.
Street vendors are classified into two categories. In the first are individual peddlers who go around to sell items such as flowers, newspapers, gifts, books, and others, or offer services and trades such as a plumber, electrician, watch repairer and similar jobs.
The other category comprises those using push carts or bicycles to sell goods at passageways, public roads, or various areas. This covers selling vegetables and fruits, packed foods, drinks, and hot and cold meals.
Each street vendor could obtain a licence for a single activity or service.
To obtain a licence, the applicant should be not less than 18 years, obtain a written approval from the employer in case of expatriates, have a health certificate from the Ministry of Public Health, and a certificate of good conduct (clean criminal record), in addition to the necessary approvals from the department concerned with the required activity.
The annual fees for issuing licence for such jobs is set by the MEC at QR500 for peddlers and QR1,000 for those using small push carts.
The street vendors were issued notices for carrying out their activity without a commercial licence and referred to the security authorities to take legal action against them.
These campaigns are part of a series of initiatives launched by the MEC on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. The ministry had announced a plan of intensive and extensive inspection campaigns before, during and after the holy month of Ramadan to cover all regions of the country and various sectors and activities in order to monitor compliance with laws and regulations governing the conduct of commercial activities, and control irregularities and to detect abuses.
The MEC had issued, in November last year, guidelines to regulate the work of street vendors and peddlers in the country, specifying the permissible activities, requirements, and the standards and conditions for issuing a licence.
The objective is to upgrade the services offered to the public by street vendors and peddlers and guarantee adherence to the laws and regulations governing the various commercial activities in the country.
Street vendor is defined as a person who engages in a commercial activity and requires a shop or an office to obtain a licence.
Street vendors are classified into two categories. In the first are individual peddlers who go around to sell items such as flowers, newspapers, gifts, books, and others, or offer services and trades such as a plumber, electrician, watch repairer and similar jobs.
The other category comprises those using push carts or bicycles to sell goods at passageways, public roads, or various areas. This covers selling vegetables and fruits, packed foods, drinks, and hot and cold meals.
Each street vendor could obtain a licence for a single activity or service.
To obtain a licence, the applicant should be not less than 18 years, obtain a written approval from the employer in case of expatriates, have a health certificate from the Ministry of Public Health, and a certificate of good conduct (clean criminal record), in addition to the necessary approvals from the department concerned with the required activity.
The annual fees for issuing licence for such jobs is set by the MEC at QR500 for peddlers and QR1,000 for those using small push carts.
