Dubai: Complaints relating to commercial disputes in Dubai dropped by 35% between 2016 and 2017 following improved efforts by the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in the Department of Economic Development (DED) to protect the rights of businesses in line with the emirate’s reputation as a competitive environment for businesses to grow sustainably.
The Business Protection section within CCCP received 1,018 complaints following from commercial disputes in 2017 against 1,555 such complaints in 2016.
The Business Protection section is responsible for receiving complaints relating to disputes between traders inside and outside the UAE and resolving them amicably. The section intervenes only when the complainant is a commercial entity registered within Dubai and the dispute is purely commercial. Disputes that are already resolved, or under consideration, by other competent judicial, legal or administrative entities cannot be submitted to DED.
The UAE accounted for 34.5% of the companies involved in commercial disputes in 2017, followed by India (16.5%), Saudi Arabia (9.8%), Egypt (2.7%) and Oman (2.6%). Sector-wise, Services accounted for 45.5% of complaints, followed by Electronics (8.7%), Foodstuff (4.9%), Shipping (4.7%), Clearing (3.5%) Construction material (3.4%), Furnishing (2.5%), Cars (2.2%), Furniture (1.2%), Accessories (0.9%), Labour supply, Transport, and Communications (0.3% each), and Car rental (0.1%) while 22% complaints were from other varied sectors.
Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, CEO of CCCP, said DED is proud to be a leader in promoting transparency and impartiality among businesses in Dubai and across their dealings with businesses within and outside the UAE, thus strengthening the emirate’s reputation as a commercial hub not only for the GCC and the Middle East but also for the rest of the world.
"Non-compliance with the terms of the agreement was one of the most common complaints in 2017, accounting for 59.7% of total,” Lootah said. Non-compliance with contract terms had a share of 20%, followed by commercial fraud (4.3%), after-sales service (2%), non-compliance with warranty terms (1.3%), and excess charge on service or product (0.2%) while 11% of the complaints were related to a number of other issues.
Lootah stressed that CCCP is keen to resolve commercial complaints within a period not exceeding 10 days, which is the fastest complaints resolution in the UAE. Those submitting complaints should provide a copy of the documents proving the validity of their claim. In the case of complainants from outside the UAE, the complaint letter or document must be attested by any competent authority in their respective country. Complaints can be submitted on the call centre number 971 600 54 5555, by email to businessprotection@dubaided.gov.ae or through the social media accounts of CCCP.
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About Dubai Economy:
Dubai Economy is the government body entrusted to set and drive the economic agenda of the emirate of Dubai, UAE. Dubai Economy supports the structural transformation of Dubai into a diversified, innovative service-based economy that aims to improve the business environment and accelerate productivity growth. Dubai Economy and its agencies develop economic plans and policies, identify and support the growth of strategic sectors, and provide services to domestic and international investors and businesses.
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© Press Release 2018
