Street vendors penalised for operating without licence

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, has carried out a surprise inspection campaign targeting street vendors on Doha Corniche.

A number of violations were detected and street vendors penalised for conducting business activities without obtaining a commercial licence. Violators were referred to security authorities for legal proceedings.

The ministry aims through the campaign to monitor the compliance of suppliers with their obligations under Law No 5 of 2015 on industrial commercial shops, public stores and street vendors, as well as their commitment to Ministerial Decision No 243 of 2016 on Licences and regulations for street vendors.

The inspection campaigns come within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to monitor compliance with laws and regulations governing commercial activities in order to uncover and crack down on violations.

Within the framework of its efforts to regulate the business environment and create a stimulating investment environment for the private sector and entrepreneurs, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce had earlier launched an initiative to regulate the work of street vendors by specifying permissible activities as well as requirements, standards and conditions for issuing a license. The initiative aims to improve the quality of services offered to the public and guarantee compliance with laws and regulations governing the various commercial activities.

The ministry stressed it will not tolerate any violations of the Consumer Protection Law No. 5 of 2015 and Ministerial Decision No. 243 of 2016, and intensify its inspection campaigns to crackdown on violations. The ministry said it will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to competent authorities, who will in turn take appropriate action against perpetrators in order to protect consumer rights.

The MEC has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels: Call centre: 16001, e-mail: info@mec.gov.qa, Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar