Entry of fake auto spare parts curbed: official

Sheikh Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani inaugurating the exhibition along with other CPD officials yesterday.By Ayman Adly/Staff ReporterThe entry of counterfeit automobile spare parts and accessories, particularly tyres, rims, brake pads and seat belts, into the local market has been restricted to a large extent, thanks to the efforts of the Consumer Protection Department (CPD), a senior official observed yesterday.Speaking at the inauguration of the CPD’s exhibition of “original and counterfeit items” at Doha’s Souq Waqif yesterday, the department’s director Sheikh Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani also stressed that they were intensifying efforts to enforce the law and combat the menace of counterfeiting.Sheikh Jassim said more violations were detected in 2013 than in 2012 due to the effective steps taken by the CPD. “The number of unoriginal parts in this category within the local market is currently very limited and we consider it as a good beginning. We require a certificate of origin to be authenticated against the imported items before allowing them into the country,” he said, stressing that there is close co-ordination with agencies such as Customs to monitor the entry of items into the country, especially automobile spare parts and electrical appliances and items.Further, Sheikh Jassim said the penalties stipulated in the law are adequate and stringent as they involve hefty fines, confiscation of counterfeit goods and declaration of violators’ names in the local media.For instance, he pointed out, an automobile dealer was fined around QR100,000 for not providing adequate after-sales services and the required spare parts on time. The exhibition is being held to mark the ninth GCC consumer protection week, observed this year under the theme “Shop with care for your protection”.“This exhibition will be held for five days at Souq Waqif and then for another five days at Katara - the Culture Village. The activities are carried out in all GCC countries, but it was Qatar’s initiative to increase the duration of events to a week rather than a single day,” the CPD director added.