Strategy urged to curb overpricing in Qatar

A number of Qataris have expressed concern over the prices of certain types of goods, which they say are higher in Qatar as compared to some neighbouring countries.

These products include automobile spare parts, some medicines, electrical appliances and others, according to them.Speaking to local Arabic daily Arrayah, the citizens said they often visit neighbouring countries to buy such items. This is because the prices there - for products of similar quality - are often almost half of what is charged in Doha, they say.Mihana al-Nuaimi, a young Qatari man, said his vehicle had met with an accident and he had gone to the dealer in Doha to inquire about spare parts. He was told that the parts would cost him more than QR20,000. However, he found out that the same would cost only around QR10,000 in a neighbouring country.He said the authorities here need to adopt a strategic plan to keep the prices of different kinds of products in check.Similarly, Mohamed al-Yazidi felt that the "limited number of dealers and brands" in the country, for a variety of goods, was responsible for the high prices and the market should be opened up to include more options. Otherwise, many locals would be compelled to go abroad to meet their requirements, he added.Meanwhile, Abdulla al-Merri stressed that there should be more authorised distributors for the same product to boost competition in the market, which would ultimately benefit consumers by giving them more options in terms of price and quality. The daily also reported that citizens consider automobile spare parts to be particularly expensive in Qatar as compared to some other countries.They also pointed out that high rents in the country have had a negative impact on pricing.