Thursday, Aug 28, 2008

Dubai: The Ministry of EconomyMinistry of Economy yesterday penalised some shops at the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Al Aweer over unauthorised price increases, a source told Gulf News.

The ministry's Consumer Protection Department, headed by its director, Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, yesterday kicked off the Ramadan price watch in Dubai by visiting some shops and warning traders against unfair price hikes during the month.

The team first visited the market and headed to the Union Co-operative SocietyUnion Co-operative Society. Scheduled visits to CarrefourCarrefour at Deira City Centre and LuLu Hypermarket were cancelled.

"A few shops, about four to five, were penalised during the visit. Their violations were related to price increases, but generally, Al Nuaimi was happy with the commitments he got from the retail shops," a source told Gulf News. No details were divulged on the penalties imposed.

In an interview during the tour, Al Nuaimi said his department was serious about the campaign to keep a tight vigil on prices during Ramadan. He also urged consumers to report any sudden price movements at supermarket chains and other shops in the UAE by calling their hotline.

"We have already received a lot of complaints and closed some outlets in the UAE. My inspectors will do some roundups to continue monitoring the prices during Ramadan and anyone found manipulating the prices will face penalties," Al Nuaimi told Gulf News.

By Cleofe Maceda

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