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29 March 2024

Dh100,000 fine for overcharging

Shops violating the price-stability initiative will face a fine of between Dh5,000 and Dh100,000, to be paid immediately on the site. (FILE)

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By Staff

Inspectors from the Ministry of Economy and several other government departments will fan out through supermarkets and other shopping outlets on Sunday to ensure they abide by defined consumer prices or face a penalty of up to Dh10,000, a government official was reported as saying.

The inspection of shopping outlets is part of a landmark price stability initiative announced by the ministry of economy early this year in collaboration with major hypermarkets, cooperative societies and other key marketing outlets to fix the prices of more than 1,000 consumer items until the end of 2011.

The campaign comes a day before the start of the fasting month of Ramadan, when demand for consumer products increase and some shops take advantage of surging consumption to raise their prices.

“Shops violating the price-stability initiative will face a fine of between Dh5,000 and Dh100,000, to be paid immediately on the site,” said Hashim Al Nuaimi, director of the consumer protection division at the Ministry of Economy.

“We have formed an inspection committee from the ministry and several other local departments to ensure compliance with prices….inspectors will visit all shopping outlets, including vegetable and fish markets, cooperative societies, hypermarkets, supermarkets and other shops.”

Nuaimi said the ministry had set hotlines to receive public complaints, adding that it would not tolerate any price violation or manipulation especially regarding what he described as strategic items such as meat, rice and flour.

“We will deal firmly with any attempt to raise prices….penalties will be doubled in case the violation is repeated….all key shopping outlets have been asked to display the prices of the defined consumer products through Ramadan.”

Nuaimi said the price list included in the Dh200-initiative, the first of its kind in the region, has now exceeded 1,000 consumer items, the prices of which must remain unchanged until the end of the year.

Key items in the list include meat, flour, powder milk, rice, frozen chicken, tea, juices and bottled water, olive oil, salt, soap, garbage bags and other products.