Goods and products in Ramadan within the price range

Dubai Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Foundation confirmed that it continues to implement inspection campaigns in the emirate’s markets during the month of Ramadan, at a rate of four inspection campaigns daily, noting that goods and products are within the specified price range, and did not witness increases.

She explained to «Emirates Today» that some of the products subject to promotional offers decrease their prices and rise, but they do not exceed the specified ceiling, and therefore cannot be considered a violation.

In detail, the Director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Dubai Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Corporation, one of the institutions of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, Ahmed Ali Moussa, said that Dubai Consumer Protection and Fair Trade is implemented during the month of Ramadan four inspection campaigns daily to monitor commitment to specified prices, pointing out that these campaigns aimed at organizing the relationship between traders and consumers and monitoring prices and monitoring markets will continue to even continue The end of the month and throughout the months of the year.

Moussa added to «Emirates Today» that the products and commodities in the emirate markets are within the price range, and no increases were witnessed during the month of Ramadan, indicating that the compliance of the markets for prices within the campaigns carried out by the department is very high, as it reached about 95%, while the percentage of violations that were registered after verification were very few.

He stated that «some reports indicated a change in the prices of commodities during Ramadan, specifically for the food sector, and accordingly we carried out inspection campaigns, but we did not notice an increase in prices.

Moussa continued: «The promotional offer is available for the first week or two in the month of Ramadan, after which the discount rate that is mentioned in the permit is changed, for example we find that a product was put in the market with a discount rate of 50%, and in the following week the percentage changes to 40 or 30%, or the period of the supply is completed, according to the permit obtained from the department, and here some may resort to considering this an increase in the price, but in fact, it is not, At the price is when the price level exceeds the ceiling set by the Ministry of Economy. ”

He added: “The offers are a right of the merchant in the context of dealing with the mechanism of supply and demand, but the important thing for us in the Consumer Protection Department is that this offer does not exceed the specified ceiling. We can consider a violation or increase in price, as it is still within the specified price range. ”

Moussa added: “If the prices exceed the specified ceiling, then we resort to the mechanism of violations, and we have a system linked with the Ministry of Economy to verify this ceiling.” He explained that the procedures related to violators include issuing warnings to them the first time, and when the violation is repeated for the second time, fines are imposed according to the laws, indicating that fines ranged between 2000 and one million dirhams, according to the size of the violation and the impact of the violation in the markets and consumers.

Moussa said that the consumer protection is a vital sector, as inspection and control campaigns continue throughout the year, and throughout Dubai markets, pointing out that 80 inspection campaigns have been implemented since the beginning of Ramadan.

. The “Foundation” confirmed that the products subject to promotional offers decrease their prices and rise without overcoming the specified ceiling.

. 4 inspection campaigns daily to monitor markets in Dubai, and organize the relationship between traders and consumers.