Inspection campaigns carried out by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) resulted in the imposition of three fines for violations by shops and companies selling food and cosmetic products, it was announced on Wednesday.
The violations ranged from the supply and sale of expired food products, namely, expired ghee cans that were not removed from the shelves and destroyed, as well as the supply and sale of expired hair dyes in violation of Article 6 of Law No 8 of 2008 on consumer protection and anti-commercial fraud, the MEC said in a press statement.
Article 6 prohibits the sale, display and promotion of substandard, counterfeit and fraudulent products. A product is considered fraudulent or spoiled if it does not conform to the prescribed standards, is unusable or expired.
The ministry conducted the surprise inspections targeting a number of shops and companies selling food and cosmetic products across Qatar, including Hyatt Plaza, Al Wakrah and Al Sadd Street, in a bid to monitor the compliance of suppliers with their obligations under Law No 8 of 2008 on consumer protection, the statement noted.
These regular and intensive inspection campaigns come within the framework of the ministry's efforts to regulate and control markets and commercial activities across Qatar and to crack down on infringements and counterfeit goods that do not conform to standard specifications.
Violations of Law No 8 of 2008 on consumer protection can result in administrative closure and financial penalties ranging from QR3,000 to QR1mn.
The ministry has stressed that it will not tolerate any violations of the Consumer Protection Law and its regulations, and will intensify its inspection campaigns to crack down on such practices.
It will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to the competent authorities, who will, in turn, take appropriate action against the perpetrators in order to protect consumer rights.
The MEC has urged all consumers to report violations or submit complaints and suggestions through the call centre: 16001, email: [email protected], Twitter: MEC_QATAR, Instagram: MEC_QATAR and the applications of the ministry on smartphones available on iPhone and Android devices: MEC_QATAR
Related Story