The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development will also be strengthening its efforts to protect consumers from negative and illegal practices by some establishments during seasons and events
ABU DHABI - The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has announced that they are increasing the intensity of inspection and monitoring campaigns on local markets and sales outlets in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi during the month of Ramadan, to ensure the adherence to preventive and precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
ADDED will also be strengthening its efforts to protect consumers from negative and illegal practices by some establishments during seasons and events.
During the month of Ramadan and the Eid holiday, the Department is implementing a plan to monitor and inspect the markets in the emirate’s three cities (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra). The plan includes intensive campaigns on sales outlets, vegetable and fruit stores, livestock markets, meat stores, and consumer goods stores to monitor their commitment to applying the circulars issued by the Crisis and Disaster Management Committee concerning COVID-19.
Rashid Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of the ADDED, said, "The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, through the Commercial Protection Division, is keen to implement all circulars and decisions related to preventive and precautionary measures, especially during the month of Ramadan, which witnesses a great turnout at sales outlets; calling on shoppers to use smart applications for shopping. He added that this would reduce the turnout at sales outlets and contributes to the ease of taking all necessary measures for the health of society members.''
He added, "We are keen to enhancing consumer confidence in the local market in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by creating an effective partnership with commercial establishments through cooperation in implementing initiatives, campaigns and circulars. This will protect consumers and preserve their rights to knowledge and inquiries when purchasing products and services, in particular during the annual seasons."
Rabie Al Hajri, Acting Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Business Center, said that the intensive inspection campaigns to be carried out by the Department during the month of Ramadan and the Eid include monitoring of all malls and commercial establishments.
The campaigns’ aim is to monitor the extent of commitment to precautionary measures. He added that inspection will be intensified at peak times focusing on following up commitment to the permitted capacity in the sales outlets and malls and the presence of the establishment's security personnel at the points of payment and entry to regulate the movement of shoppers.
He added that the campaigns also aim to follow up on the public’s awareness of the precautionary measures through loudspeakers in sales outlets to ensure physical distancing is observed between shoppers and workers in the sales outlets and malls. He went on to say that ADDED’s monitoring room will continue to operate to follow up the shopping movement in malls and places with intensive public turnout during the period of Ramadan and the Eid holiday.
Al Hajri explained that the campaigns also focus on monitoring the prices of consumer products and ensuring that establishments adhere to all circulars in this regard and comply with the regulations, laws and circulars related to consumer protection and combating commercial fraud and counterfeiting. He indicated that consumers can see the prices of consumer products on a daily basis through the Price Observatory available on the ADDED’s website: added.gov.ae He added that the Department is keen to enhance its partnership with all customers and the public of shoppers and consumers through the call center of the Abu Dhabi Government by telephone on 800555.
The Consumer Protection Section's action plan during Ramadan and Eid season involves intensive inspection campaigns that focus on the shopping outlets with intensive public turnout, such as the sales outlets, the vegetable and fruit market and the livestock market, in addition to daily field visits to establishments trading in food and consumer goods.
The Consumer Protection Team is working to ensure that the economic establishments comply with the regulations and laws, and to monitor the prices of foodstuffs, so that they are recorded and documented on a daily basis. The team will also monitor and record violations and educate investors about the laws and regulations and the new policies in the field of consumer protection and business.
0 comments