An inspection campaign conducted by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) resulted in a crackdown on a number of gold shops in Souq Al Ghanim for failing to comply with regulations, it was announced Sunday.
Accordingly, the MEC fined the suppliers who failed to comply with its conditions in violation of Law No 8 of 2008 on consumer protection and Article 7 of the law, the ministry said in a press statement.
The MEC had launched the campaign targeting a number of gold shops in Souq Al Ghanim in order to monitor the compliance of suppliers with their obligations under Law No 8 of 2008 on consumer protection. The initiative came within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to monitor markets and commercial activities across Qatar in order to crack down on commercial fraud and uncover violations to protect consumers’ rights.
Failure of many shops to comply with a set of regulatory decisions issued by the MEC on the sale of gold, jewellery, precious metals and similar products were detected during the campaign. The circular requires providing consumers with details on the components of a product such as the gold grade, gemstone type, purity degree and workmanship cost to ensure that the consumer fully understands the nature of product s/he is purchasing, its components and value, the statement notes.
Article 7 compels suppliers to clearly display on the product’s package or label the type and nature of the item as well as other relevant data in line with the law’s implementing regulations. If the use of the product carries a risk, it is necessary to alert the user in a clear manner. The law also prohibits the display of fraudulent descriptions, advertisements and misleading statements.
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