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UAE-Dubai: 11 June, 2015 – In preparation for the Holy Month of Ramadan, the UAE Ministry of Economy has announced action plans to ensure maximum consumer protection under the directives of the Higher Committee for Consumer Protection (HCCP), headed by His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy.
Addressing the media, Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director, Consumer Protection Directorate and Rapporteur of the HCCP, said the Ministry of Economy held more than 50 meetings with suppliers of basic commodities such as rice, flour, oil, and milk, recommending them to increase imports during the holy month even while maintaining prices at current levels.
Officials from the ministry of economy held similar meetings with representatives of major hypermarkets, retail outlets and cooperative societies in the UAE, as well as vegetable and fruit traders in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to ensure that basic commodities are available in full measure to meet the spike in demand during the holy month of Ramadan.
Dr Al Nuaimi added that the Ministry has requested suppliers to increase imports of fruit and vegetable supplies by 30% to guarantee demand is fully met while ensuring prices remain constant. He pointed out that daily imports of vegetables and fruits in the Dubai market alone during the Holy Month of Ramadan are expected to reach 16,000 tons, while traders in Abu Dhabi will import a further 3,500 tons.
3,500 fixed price commodities in 2015
Dr Al Naumi said that the Ministry of Economy in collaboration with various co-operative societies and retail outlets across the UAE has taken steps to fix the price of some 3,500 essential commodities that are needed on a daily basis, marking an increase of 500 commodities over the same period in 2014.
Furthermore, all outlets are required to display a detailed listing all the 3,500 commodities and their fixed prices. Retail outlets are also mandated to indicate the price of all fixed priced commodities on shelves and clearly designate their location in the store for the benefit of customers.
The Ministry of Economy has also reached an agreement with cooperatives and hypermarkets to install price reading devices that allow customers to know the price before heading to the check-out counter. More than 2,200 of these devices have been installed to date. This number is set to rise to 3,000 by year-end 2015.
AED 200 million subsidies
Addressing the media, Dr Al Nuaimi said that cooperatives and major retail outlets have agreed to work with the Ministry to support the reduction of prices of essential commodities during the Holy Month. These outlets will begin hosting seasonal discounts and bargains shortly ahead of the festivities for the benefit of consumers. Some 4,700 commodities are set to be included within this scheme, as part of the agreement between the outlets and the Ministry of Economy. Some of the essential commodities will be offered at discounted rates of up to 70%. The value of these initiatives is estimated at AED200 million.
Awareness as a main pillar for consumer protection
Reiterating the Ministry's focus on raising awareness among consumers about their rights, Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi stressed the important role of the media in helping to achieve this priority. In a bid to step-up awareness and knowledge of consumer rights, the Ministry will install information screens in collaboration with the cooperatives and hypermarkets to display awareness messages and information in addition to complaint numbers and methods of contacting the Ministry.
Additionally, the Ministry has been distributing awareness brochures in malls, hypermarkets, cooperatives and retail outlets.
The ministry has also extended the working hours of its contact center during Ramadan from 8am to 12 midnight. Dr Al Nuaimi added that the Ministry invites complaints and suggestions from consumers on the initiatives taken.
350 inspection tours during Ramadan
The Ministry of Economy has also put in place a specific schedule for the inspection of markets towards maintaining quality of products and regulating pricing. Conducted in the run up to Ramadan and during the holy month, the inspection tours will cover the cooperatives, hypermarkets, retail outlets, super markets and department stores, meat markets, fish markets, fruits and vegetables markets. In 2014, 280 inspection tours were conducted. More than 350 tours are planned for this year.
Focusing on law no. 24 of 2006 that deals with consumer protection, Dr Al Nuaimi said article No. 5 obliges suppliers to refund or exchange purchased goods should the consumer find them defective. He added that article No. 10 requires suppliers to guarantee that services are provided on par with standard specifications. Article No. 15 further stipulates that if a supplier finds a defect in a commodity or service that would cause damage to the consumer, the concern should be reported to the Consumer Protection Directorate that is mandated to inform consumers of possible damages as well as suggest measures to safeguard themselves.
The Ministry of Economy has also put in place a mechanism for the recall of products through a dedicated website. The website provides customers with a detailed list of all recalled products and their corresponding defects. The Ministry also requires suppliers to run announcements of the recalled products for three days in Arabic and English newspapers.
Complaints
In his media briefing, Dr Al Nuaimi informed that the Ministry received 1,428 complaints in April 2015. The complaints spanned nine categories (real estate, furniture, credit cards, spare parts, cars, phone, electronics, high prices, and miscellaneous complaints). With 589 complaints, Abu Dhabi led the table among the emirates for the highest number of complaints, followed by Dubai with 395 complaints. Likewise, in May 2015, Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi said the Ministry had received 1,400 complaints – 596 from Abu Dhabi and 395 from Dubai.
Maintenance of Vehicles
Dr Al Nuaimi said that the Ministry is also working with the Vehicles Agents Committee that includes 350 registered agents. The two sides have agreed on a maintenance system for vehicles that mandates maintenance to be carried out after every 10,000 kms as a minimum instead of the previous 5,000 kms. An official announcement will be made in the near future. Dr Al Nuaimi pointed out that during the first half of 2015, more than 62,500 vehicles were recalled for reasons related to safety.
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