Director of the Quality Licensing and Market Control Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Mohamed Al Sayed, said that the ministry has implemented a slew of measures to ensure stability in the prices of commodities and services in the country.
“The measures include the issuance of daily price bulletin for basic consumer goods — vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood. These commodities undergo daily auction at central markets run by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the country,” said Al Sayed. Speaking in a Qatar TV programme, Al Sayed said that the Consumer Protection Department monitors and inspects commercial outlets in the local market across the country following Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection.
“To ensure healthy competition in the market and curb monopoly, the consumer affairs sector implements laws and regulations for strategic stock, commodities on subsidised prices, daily price bulletin and fixing profits,” said Al Sayed.
Mohamed Al Sayed said that following these laws and regulations, the departments concerned play their roles s h o u l d e r i n g t h e i r responsibilities. Al Sayed said the MoCI is entrusted to regulate prices of some commodities and services under specific rules and regulations regarding prices of commodities and services.
“From this point, the Minister of Commerce and Industry had issued a decision to set up a committee to fix maximum prices and profit margins for some commodities and services,” said Al Sayed.
He said that there is a list of commodities and services which MoCI is supervising. He noted that as per the local laws, other ministries and government entities are also responsible for some products; for example, medicines and medical facilities are under the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
Manpower agencies for domestic workers are regulated by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour, and Social Affairs (MADLSA).
