Inspection of outlets intensified ahead of Eid
Inspectors from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce are on the prowl ahead of Eid Al Fitr and have caught several vendors at the Central Fruits and Vegetables Market who were operating illegally.
Inspectors also caught people who entered auction areas of the Central Market without proper authorisation. Action has been taken in both cases.
The ministry said in a statement yesterday that it had intensified inspection campaigns targeting shops offering commodities that are more in demand on the eve of Eid festivities.
Under the scan are wholesalers and retailers at the central markets, in particular.
All shops outside the Central Market were also raided and included those selling sweets and nuts, men’s wear, tailoring shops and barber salons.
Tailoring shops, barber salons and men’s wear outlets that did not display prices tags for their services and products were penalised.
Penalties begin from fines of QR6,000 which increases if violations are repeated. Outlets can also face temporary closure if caught repeating violations.
Some 20 violations were detected at the Central Market and vendors were fined for not carrying price tags, not mentioning places of origin of fruits and vegetables and for the failure to describe their names in Arabic, too. Some 200 outlets, including those of men’s wear, drapers and tailors and barber salons were raided by 20 inspectors and 27 outlets were singled out for violations.
At least 13 violations were caught from among the outlets selling sweets and nuts, said the ministry. Some 15 inspectors took part in these campaigns. Since Ramadan began on June 29, inspectors raided some 3,540 outlets all over the country and caught 68 violations and punished them.
In a unique campaign for the first time, the ministry urged people to avoid extravagance during the fasting month. Extravagance is not advised throughout the year but in Ramadan, particularly, it must be avoided, the ministry said as part of an awareness campaign ‘Say No To Extravagance’.
People tend to spend more during Ramadan, especially on food. So the ministry urged the public as part of the campaign to plan their purchases ahead of the holy month and buy items in restricted quantities.
The campaign was launched at shopping complexes, including the most popular and bigger ones like Landmark and Ezdan Mall, among others.
