Retailers increasing food prices during Ramadan face stiff fines

Thursday, Jun 23, 2011

Gulf News

Dubai Officials have planned 15 inspections in major retail outlets during Ram-adan and retailers who raise prices of basic commodities will face fines ranging from Dh500 to Dh20,000, an official at the Department of Economic Development (DED) said.

Abdullah Al Shehi, Director of Commercial Protection at DED, told Gulf News that starting from Ramadan until the end of the year, inspectors will monitor whether retailers are raising the prices of basic commodities fixed by the Ministry of Economy.

They will also ensure that food supplies do not run low during the fasting month when shoppers tend to buy more groceries.

In July, there will be 10 inspections of the warehouses of food wholesalers to check for manipulation of expiry dates and product descriptions, Al Shehi said.

This month, inspectors will focus on the consistency of price tags across retail outlets. Smaller groceries will be monitored to ensure that they do not exploit consumers by buying products at fixed prices from major retail outlets and selling them at higher prices to consumers, he added. Groceries that do so could be fined up to Dh10,000.

The DED has a team of 80 inspectors covering Dubai with planned and random inspections. The number of visits depends on the changes in the market, Al Shehi said.

Food prices often skyrocket and supplies of some commodities dwindle during Ramadan, which begins in August this year.

Depending on the number of violations, retailers can face fines up to Dh20,000 if they raise the prices of fixed-cost items.

By Deena Kamel Yousef?Staff Reporter