Residents say official intervention necessary to rein in errant retailers during Ramadan

Ramadan is a time when people engage in pious deeds and not cheat others.

However, some shopkeepers seem to be going against the spirit of Ramadan by overcharging for food items that have been subsidised by the Qatari government.

Residents of the country are now seeking effective intervention by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) to ensure stable and uniform prices for edible consumer goods, reported Gulf Times.

In the last few days, several people have complained about retailers charging different prices for the same brand of essential edible commodities, including milk, the newspaper said.

This is being reported at a time when the MEC has issued orders to retailers for ensuring discounted prices for a large number of essential commodities.

The other day, a customer said he had come across four different prices in as many places for a one-litre bottle of fresh milk produced in the country.

“While it’s being sold for QR6 at major hypermarkets as part of the Ramadan promotion, against the regular price of QR6.50, the same milk is being sold for QR6.50, QR7 and QR 7.50 at three different outlets in the city,” he told Gulf Times.

The resident added that many of the smaller supermarkets in the country are also refusing to issue bills to customers against their purchases.

Residents have come across similar disparities in the prices of many items, including dry fruits and nuts of same brands at outlets located in the same area.

There have also been complaints about different prices for a popular brand of carbonated soft drink. The same product is being sold for prices between QR5.50 and QR6.50 at different retail outlets.