Damascus-Sana
Ali Al-Khatib, Director of Consumer Protection at the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, revealed that the ministry has taken a number of measures to develop the supervisory work and increase its effectiveness, including the work of specialized patrols on all materials and commodities and strict follow-up in the file of subsidized materials such as oil derivatives to prevent trafficking for non-purpose .
Al-Khatib said in a statement to the SANA Economic Bulletin that it is working to provide the Consumer Protection Agency with new elements of engineers sorted to the ministry, training and rehabilitation through subjecting specialized courses in order to increase the speed of response to complaints and emergency cases and follow-up markets accurately and promptly.
Al-Khatib said that more than 15 thousand judicial and sample seizures were organized during the past four months, of which 6785 seizures were settled according to law 14 of 2015 with a total value of about 170 million pounds. He pointed to taking strict measures against fuel violations by monitoring the work of stations and tanks starting from the moment Mobilization up to distribution to the consumer in addition to the consumer protection elements of the campaigns sudden on the stations and distributors and address the complaints of citizens in this regard to ensure that the manipulation of meters and charging excessive prices or fraud in the article.
Al-Khatib explained that patrols of consumer protection in all governorates are working around the clock to follow up the subject of trafficking and manipulation of subsidized materials.There were 443 seizures recorded in the hydrocarbons sector, including 122 seizures of illegal trade in oil derivatives and 321 seizures, which ranged between fraud in the article and manipulation of the counter and electronic cards and charging a plus price.
Al-Khatib revealed that there are new amendments that tighten penalties for violators in the new consumer protection bill that effectively contribute to suppressing violations, reducing cases of manipulation and fraud, monopolizing commodities and trafficking of unknown source in the markets, revealing increasing financial fines for those who carry out monopolistic practices and fraud and manipulation of specifications in addition to materials for workers. In this sector their duties and responsibilities are determined.
Al-Khatib stressed the need to activate the culture of complaint by emphasizing the complaints offices and follow-up patrols in all markets and regions to respond to them and deal with them as soon as possible in order to encourage citizens to help us in controlling and follow-up market movement, especially not to announce prices and sale at a price plus the circulation of irregular bills. Organizing 7996 supply controls in this field during the same period.
Nadim Mualla
SANA Economic Bulletin
