MoCI confirms availability of goods, stability of prices during World Cup

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has confirmed the availability of food and consumer goods in the local markets, noting the stability of prices, and their ability to accommodate to all consumer needs during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In a statement, the ministry said it was keen to support the axes and priorities of its action and programmes aimed at ensuring the highest levels of food security and readiness to provide the needed food and consumer commodities, in terms of type and quantity.In this regard, the MoCI referred to its efforts to achieve the defined goals to enhance the country's food security throughout the World Cup. The goals are as follows:

• Ensuring the availability of sufficient stocks of basic food and consumer strategic commodities during the period of hosting the World Cup.
• Maintaining stable prices of basic goods and services.
• Addressing emergencies that may arise during the World Cup tournament using risk management.
• Ensuring the availability of goods in the vicinity of guests of the global event by establishing mobile sales outlets in the places of residence and dwelling of World Cup guests.

In this regard, the ministry's efforts to enhance public-private partnership has contributed to supporting supply in central markets and various sales outlets across Qatar, in addition to enhancing the strategic stock of basic and consumer goods, despite the fluctuations in the global supply chains. In this context, the MoCI praised the level of co-operation and co-ordination with a number of strategic companies, at the forefront of which are: Hassad Food Company, Widam Food Company, Al Meera Consumer Goods Company and Qatar Flour Mills Company.The MoCI pointed, in this regard, to the key, pivotal role played by the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Food Security Emergencies Operations Room, which was formed at the ministry. Moreover, the MoCI indicated the stability of prices of many commodities during the tournament. The prices of some products, such as vegetables, witnessed a significant decrease owing to being in season, in addition to the ministry’s efforts to support the availability of national products in the local markets.Additionally, inspection campaigns conducted by the MoCI in the three central markets were key to supporting price stability and combating monopoly. These campaigns included 138 suppliers and 162 sales outlets (hypermarkets/supermarkets and their various branches), in addition to other catering companies, restaurants, cafes and cafeterias.The ministry also sought to support goods' diversity and availability in the main regions throughout the tournament. In this regard, the MoCI, in co-operation with the Ministry of Municipality, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, and Al Meera Consumer Goods Company, launched 10 temporary outlets in the vicinity of places where World Cup fans would gather. Moreover, restaurants, exchange shops and telecom operator kiosks were made available in various Al Meera branches.This initiative aims to give Qatar’s visitors easy access to products throughout the tournament, ensuring them an abundance and diversity of goods. Moreover, in addition to avoiding overcrowding in the permanent outlets, opening the temporary outlets seeks to provide visitors with the chance to shop, round the clock, sevendays a week, the statement adds.