Ajman: Inspections by authorities at the Ajman Fruits and Vegetable Market saw 21 shops being fined for violating rules, selling products unfit for human consumption and not displaying prices of commodities.
The shops were fined during an inspection visit conducted on Wednesday by Ministry of Economy officials. Authorities are being extra vigilant to ensure compliance with commodity prices fixed by the ministry during Ramadan.
The checks were conducted as part of inspections being carried out by the ministry at shops and restaurants throughout Ramadan to ensure control on food prices and shops’ compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to consumer protection.
Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, said that the “aim behind our inspection campaigns is to monitor and control food prices during Ramadan.
“We aim to raise awareness among shoppers and consumers about their rights to monitor the market prices and file complaints through the call centre for complaints, which is open until 2am,” Al Nuaimi told reporters during the inspection tour in the market.
He said that food prices have not increased this Ramadan and are cheaper compared to last year. For example, the price of a box of tomatoes was Dh45 last year, but this year it is only Dh15.
“We intensified our inspection campaigns during Ramadan,” Al Nuaimi said. “A total of 60 inspections were announced and retailers were alerted about them, while 380 sudden inspections were not announced. These inspections have been carried out by our teams since the beginning of Ramadan.”
A total of 1,300 tonnes of fruits and vegetables had been on offer in Dubai markets before Ramadan, but the quantity had risen to 1,600 tonnes during Ramadan, Al Nuaimi added.
He ordered some retailers at the vegetable market to reduce prices of some products, such as water melon. Retailers said they were unaware of any instructions to the effect but they immediately changed the prices of items they were told to. They said they had received similar instructions during Ramadan last year.
Al Nuaimi urged shoppers to keep track of market prices and report any violations or unwarranted price increases. Shoppers can document the price they pay so as to submit it along with any complaint, he said.
He said there have been far fewer complaints this year than last year, with violators mostly limited to small supermarkets.
Al Nuaimi said he was overall satisfied with the compliance to price structures at the Ajman market and that he had not yet received any serious complaints about price rises since the start of Ramadan. “But last year I received many complaints.”
He also advised shoppers not to hoard up on food items and to buy what they really needed.
— Nawal Al Ramahi is a trainee at Gulf News.
