Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Economy's Consumer Protection Department fined more than five outlets in Dubai's Fruits and Vegetables Market yesterday during a field visit to verify compliance with preset prices and sales terms. The fines come after initial warnings to traders.
Dr. Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department, toured the wholesale and retail market. The inspection team found prices of most commodities remained stable and detected no attempts to manipulate the market, Al Nuaimi said. The team took the disciplinary action against outlets that did not display price tags on their products, or violated other ministry stipulations.
Around 71 supermarkets, including Carrefour, Panda, Lulu and Al Ittihad Union Cooperative Society, are currently running promotions with up to 40 per cent discounts on a range of selected products until the end of Ramadan.
"We will be visiting all the different outlets to make sure that the offers are implemented," Al Nuaimi told reporters during his inspection tour.
By law, vendors have to display prices clearly on tags for every product. Those who don't will face expensive fines ranging between Dh3,000 and Dh5,000. Depending on the severity of the violation, the fines can go as high as Dh20,000.
Overall, prices are at a satisfactory level, Sharif Khan Al Hakeem, a shopper at the Fruits and Vegetables Market told Gulf News.
Before the Ministry of Economy team made its inspection visit, one of the items Al Hakeem wanted to buy was going for Dh12 per kilo. "When the ministry people came and they asked how much it costs, the vendor said Dh7. At least I got some discount."
Omar Bushahab, Chief Executive Officer of the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Division at the Department of Economic Development, told Gulf News that the initiative by the supermarkets to decrease prices was taken to stabilise prices during Ramadan.
The total of amount of money discounted totals up to almost Dh20 million, he said. "We can say that this Ramadan has been different. There has been stabilisation in prices."
Russia export ban: no effect on UAE prices
A Russian ban on wheat exports has not affected food prices in the UAE and where there are no concerns of a supply shortage, an economy ministry official said yesterday.
"There is no shortage of any kind," Hashem Al Nuaimi, director of customer protection at the Ministry of Economy, told Zawya Dow Jones.
"There are alternatives," Al Nuaimi said, adding that commercial buyers chose from alternatives to Russian wheat as they saw fit.
"The price of flour [in the UAE] hasn't changed," Al Nuaimi said yesterday. "We can assure consumers that there's been no effect."
— Zawya Dow Jones
