Abu Dhabi DED defines 'street vendor'

The Department of Economic Development (DED), Abu Dhabi has expressed its commitment to eliminate all negative practices that affects the performance of the business environment in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and to maintain the advanced and safe environment, stressing the importance of combating street vendors in collaboration with all the local community.

The statement came as the DED Abu Dhabi has launched an extensive campaign in Al Mafraq labour area in Abu Dhabi and the Western Region to combat street vendors in cooperation with the municipalities of Abu Dhabi and the Western Region, the Police Stations of the Western Region and the Suburbs as well as the Waste management Centre.

Commenting on the campaign, Ahmed Tarish Al Qubaisi, Acting Manager of DED’s Commercial Protection Directorate, said that the campaign in Al Mafraq labor area, (ICAD 2), resulted in 26 fines, the seizure of five vehicles and the destruction of a large quantity of seized goods including clothes, vegetables and fruits.

Defining the ‘street vendor’, Al Qubaisi said that according to the Entry No. 116 of the Table of Violations applied by the DED’s Commercial Protection Directorate (CPD), a street vendor is the person who displays goods in the street to sell them to pedestrians in various areas of the city without any permission or license from competent bodies.

In the raid I the Western Region, Al Qubaisi said that 10 fines were issued and a large quantity of goods promoted by street vendors was destroyed as they can badly affect consumers because they are not subject to health and quality controls and because they are sold without a license.

Commenting on this illegal activity, Al Qubaisi said that some of the negative trends we are seeing in Abu Dhabi reflect are the result of wrong, illegal practices by private individuals or even some licensed traders who are not we aware of the laws and regulations that control commercial activities across Abu Dhabi.

He called on all Abu Dhabi community members to combat such trends by immediately reporting any violations to the competent bodies, especially the DED which is mandated to regulate commercial activities in the emirate in cooperation with other stakeholders.

"The joint committee formed from various government bodies to combat the phenomenon of street vendors has sent its recommendations to the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi including stringent penalties of increased fines, the deportation of violators in addition to developing alternative markets for this kind of labourers," Al Qubaisi said.

The CPD Acting Manager called on citizens and expatriates alike across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi not to deal with such vendors and to report such cases directly through the toll free government call center (800555).

He stressed that such campaigns will continue to ensure the elimination of such uncivilised practices. Violators will be fined and their goods will be seized in coordination with the relevant government bodies.

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