Ibn Touq: The daily import of food commodities is proceeding normally with their availability in warehouses and on shelves
Al Ain, April 3, WAM / His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, conducted a field tour of the fruit and vegetable market in the city of Al Ain, to determine the availability of food commodities at fair prices, monitor the extent of commitment to sound commercial practices, and see the efficiency of food supply chains, in a way that enhances market stability and ensures that consumer needs are met in various circumstances.
This tour came as part of a series of field tours undertaken by His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Tourism during the current period to follow up on market conditions at the state level, within the framework of national efforts to enhance strategic stocks and ensure the abundance of basic commodities, especially food, in addition to the continuity of supply chains, and to determine the extent of sales outlets’ commitment to policies and legislation regulating consumer protection, and to ensure price transparency and market stability.
His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri stressed that securing food and protecting consumer rights in the UAE represent a national priority in compliance with the directives of the wise leadership, noting that the daily import movement of food commodities in the market is proceeding normally with the availability of quantities in warehouses and on shelves, and that there are no indications of a shortage of goods or disruptions in the supply process, which reflects the high readiness of supply chains and the efficiency of strategic stock in the various markets of the country.
His Excellency called on consumers to buy as much as needed and avoid excessive shopping that leads to waste, which contributes to enhancing price stability and maintaining the abundance of goods for all.
His Excellency added: “The UAE has an advanced infrastructure and logistics network that has contributed to strengthening the protection of basic commodity supply chains since the beginning of the current circumstances, especially food, medical and industrial supplies, by activating alternative paths and developing the strategic stock system, which has become an integrated and flexible network capable of redirecting supplies with high efficiency and within record time frames.”
For her part, Her Excellency Badriya Al Maidour Al Muhairi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, stressed the pivotal role played by the Ministry in protecting the consumer and ensuring the stability of local markets.
Her Excellency explained that the Ministry is working according to an integrated strategy to simplify procedures and speed up the response to customer complaints and inquiries.
Al Muhairi said in a statement to the Emirates News Agency: “We have simplified the communication mechanism in the Ministry of Economy through a specialized call center that operates 7 days a week, from seven in the morning until ten in the evening, in order to receive all public comments and complaints and deal with them effectively.”
She added that the Ministry is not satisfied with receiving reports, but rather has field work teams dedicated to going to the markets and verifying the validity of the observations received, and ensuring the availability of goods in various sales outlets, in a way that guarantees the rights of consumers and prevents any illegal practices.
She stressed the importance of close cooperation with economic departments and local authorities in all regions and emirates of the country, explaining that these joint efforts and coordinated field visits contribute directly to enhancing the stability of the local market and supporting the efficiency of the economic sector in general.
The visit witnessed the progress of work within the market, starting from receiving shipments through sorting and distribution operations, all the way to the cold storage systems that contribute to maintaining the quality and safety of products and ensuring the application of food safety requirements, in addition to following up on the trading movement, which reflects the efficiency of organization and the diversity of sources of supply, which confirms the market’s readiness to deal with various levels of demand and its ability to respond to changes in demand and consumption.
His Excellency was briefed on the level of flow and integration between the entities operating within the market, and the extent of their commitment to the approved operational standards.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in coordination with local authorities and economic departments, continues to monitor inventory levels and the availability of goods in the markets on a daily basis, and ensure that suppliers, merchants and sales outlets comply with consumer protection policies and enable sound commercial practices, stressing that its inspection and supervisory operations are taking place at an intense pace in the current period, and that any violations affect the availability of goods or consumer rights, including monopoly, misleading, or exploiting current conditions to manipulate prices or apply illogical and unjustified price increases during the period. The current situation will be addressed and dealt with in accordance with the applicable legal regulations, including the imposition of administrative penalties and stipulated legal violations.
It is noteworthy that since the beginning of the crisis until now, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in cooperation with local economic departments, has carried out about 12,284 inspection tours in various markets in the country, which resulted in monitoring 249 violations, the most prominent of which is raising prices without justification, as a result of which 905 warnings were issued to merchants, suppliers and sales outlets.
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