In March, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) carried out extensive inspection campaigns to monitor the extent to which suppliers (retail outlets) complied with their obligations stipulated in the laws and ministerial decisions on consumer protection.
This was in line with the MoCI’s efforts to monitor markets and commercial activities across Qatar, in a bid to control prices and uncover violations so as to protect consumer rights.
The inspection campaigns identified 163 violations, including describing, advertising or displaying a commodity in a manner that contains false information; not adhering to the prices in the compulsory price bulletin of vegetables and fruits; making promotional offers and discounts without obtaining the necessary licence from the competent department; not announcing prices; and displaying expired products.
Violations also included failure to issue invoices in Arabic, as well as failure to guarantee that the performed service is commensurate with the nature of that service, including failure to refund the recipient of the service, or to perform the service again in an appropriate manner.
Penalties imposed on retail outlets included administrative closures and fines ranging between QR5,000 and QR30,000, in accordance with the laws and decisions regulating the work of the Consumer Protection Department. The authorities concerned with consumer protection at the ministry received a number of complaints during March. They were dealt with, and necessary measures to resolve them were taken, a press statement noted. The MoCI stressed that it would not tolerate any negligence when it comes to meeting obligations stipulated in Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection and its executive bylaws. The ministry is working to intensify its inspection campaigns to control violating practices, and to refer violators of laws and ministerial decisions to the competent authorities to take due measures. The MoCI has urged all citizens and residents to report any violations or infractions through the call centre: 16001; Twitter: @MOCIQATAR; and Instagram: MOCIQATAR

Types and number of violations for March:

• Describing the commodity, advertising it or displaying it in a manner that contains false information: 25
• Failure to comply with the mandatory price bulletin of vegetables and fruits: 19
• Making a promotional offer without obtaining the necessary licence from the competent department: 15
• Failure to display prices: 14
• Offering a discount without obtaining the necessary licence from the competent department: 14
• Expired products: 14
• Failure to issue invoices in Arabic: 9
• Failure to offer an Arabic version of the information on displayed commodities: 8
• Failure to write all explanatory information about the displayed commodity: 7
• Failure to guarantee that the performed service is commensurate with the nature of that service, including failure to refund the recipient of the service, or to perform the service again in an appropriate manner: 7
• Non-compliance with the form and format of the promotion advertisement approved by the competent department: 6
• Failure to observe the safety stock in accordance with the types, quantities and percentages determined by the department: 6
• Failure to display prices in Arabic: 3
• Charging a higher price than that announced: 3
• Failure to issue invoices: 2
• Failure to place the issued promotional offer licence in a visible and prominent place on the storefront: 2
• Failure to clearly define the service information, features, characteristics and pricing: 1
• Failure to place labels on the goods included in the discounts, indicating the original and reduced prices: 1
• Non-compliance with the form and format of the discount advertisement approved by the competent department: 1
• Failure to comply with the recall procedure in the presence of a judicial officer: 1
• Imposing the purchase of a commodity in certain quantities, or the purchase of another commodity alongside it: 1
• Launching a promotional campaign before the date specified in the licence: 1
• Selling food supplies without obtaining the required licence from the competent department: 1
• Non-conformity of products to the defined standard specifications: 1
• Increasing prices without obtaining the necessary approval from the competent authority: 1