Doha: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) announced that it carried out inspection campaigns that resulted in seizure of 252 violations in November.
The ministry said, in a statement, that the violations varied between failure to issue invoices in Arabic, presence of expired products, non-compliance with conditions related to public health and safety, as well as failure to record all explanatory data related to the commodity and making discounts without obtaining necessary license and not adhering to the entry of the stock of strategic materials and commodities into the strategic inventory control system, and others.
The ministry emphasized that these inspection campaigns come within the framework of the Ministry's keenness to regulate and monitor markets and commercial activities in the country, and to monitor the extent of compliance with laws and regulations governing the practice of commercial activities with the aim of controlling violations and uncovering violations.
The statement stated that the penalties for violating shops vary between administrative closure and financial fines ranging from QR 5,000 to QR30,000, according to the laws and decisions regulating the work of the Consumer Protection Department.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry also stated that the departments concerned with consumer protection in the ministry had received many complaints last November and that they were dealt with and necessary measures were taken to resolve them.
The ministry furthermore stressed that it will take strict action against all those who neglect their obligations to the Consumer Protection Law and implementing its regulations, and will work to intensify its inspection campaigns to control such practices, violation, and refer everyone who violates laws and ministerial decisions to the competent authorities to take appropriate measures in order to protect consumers' rights.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry urged all merchants and shopkeepers to adhere to the laws and regulations for conducting commercial activities.
The ministry also urged all consumers to report any violations via the call center (16001) or by e-mail to infomoci.gov.qa.
