Abu Dhabi
The Commercial Protection Section at the Department of Economic Development’s (DED) Abu Dhabi Business Centre has seized 14,855 counterfeit and adulterated commercial commodities during 39,472 field visits in the second quarter of the year.
The field visits led to 365 violations filed against transgressors of commercial activities rules and regulations in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and 698 warnings against commercial facilities that contravened the laws and regulations of commercial activity in Abu Dhabi for the first time.
The largest share of irregularities monitored is accounted for in Abu Dhabi City with 184 violations representing more than 50 per cent of the total registered, followed by Musaffah (65 violations), Al Ain (63 violations), Bida Zayed (24 violations), Al Shahama (12 violations), Liwa (9 violations), Al Wathba (8 violations) and Gayathi (1 violation).
Mohammad Rashid Al Rumaithi, Acting Director of Commercial Affairs Sector, Protection Section, speaking about the figures, stated, “Abu Dhabi Business Centre is dedicated to tracing all negative practices that would affect the performance of the business environment in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and eliminating them.”
He praised the DED’s strategic partners in the government, semi-government entities and the private sector and their role in the realisation of the Centre’s tactical objectives and its strategy aimed to set up a competitive business environment in Abu Dhabi.
“The DED’s Abu Dhabi Business Centre is keen to translate the directions of Abu Dhabi Government in achieving the highest degree of competitiveness of the business environment in the emirate through the application of the laws and the terms and conditions on all commercial activities, through the intensification of field visits and the implementation of decisions related to the organisation of activities as well as constant interaction with consumer requirements and complaints received by the Department,” Al Rumaithi said.
He explained that the Centre is fighting many negative phenomena that affect the performance of commercial activity in the emirate, including commercial fraud and price manipulation, controlling the conduct of unlicensed activities, eliminating the phenomenon of street vendors (hawkers) and banning smoking in malls and other related negative behaviour in the emirate.
“Abu Dhabi Business Centre continues the implementation of consumer and investor awareness campaigns through active participation in Gulf Consumer Protection Day and the organisation of the annual Commercial Fraud Exhibition to be held in November as well as holding workshops to inform and educate inspectors to distinguish between original and counterfeit goods in cooperation with other entities,” Al Rumaithi said.
