Abu Dhabi, May 21, 2017: The Ministry of Economy has organized a media briefing on consumer protection measures in the UAE in preparation for the 2017 Ramadan season. Among the topics discussed were the directives and recommendations of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection chaired by H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy, and procedures and preparations carried out by the Ministry and its partners to ensure the best practices for protecting consumers throughout the year in general and during the Holy Month of Ramadan in particular.

Dr. Hashim Saeed Al Nuaimi, the Director of the Ministry’s Consumer Protection Department and Rapporteur of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, spoke to the media during the briefing held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, highlighting specific consumer protection initiatives.

Intensive meetings with suppliers and outlets
Al Nuaimi announced that the Ministry’s Consumer Protection Department has held around 40 meetings since the beginning 0f 2017 with suppliers and traders of rice, flour, sugar, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and other key commodities to enhance communication, exchange information on the country's export markets, and discuss future plans for ensuring the availability of goods and meeting market needs. He said that the focus is on procedures and coordination for the Holy Month and the maintenance of existing price levels as well as the avoidance of any unjustified increase.

The Ministry also held meetings with the committees of vegetables and fruits in Dubai and Abu Dhabi which are chaired by the Ministry of Economy, based on the decision of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection. It was agreed to provide the largest possible amount of vegetables and fruits in preparation for the Ramadan season.

Al Nuaimi further explained that daily imports of vegetables and fruits in the Dubai market during the Holy Month of Ramadan will reach about 21,000 tons, while daily Abu Dhabi imports will exceed 4,000 tons. He added that the current stock of vegetables and fruits increased to about 125,000 tons, partially attributed to improved refrigeration capabilities in the port markets of Abu Dhabi and Al Aweer in Dubai.

4,500 fixed-price commodities in 2017
Al Nuaimi said that the implementation of the price fixing initiative has also been followed up through these meetings. He revealed that the number of fixed-price commodities for 2017 has reached about 4,500, up 15 per cent over last year.

AED 300 million to support Ramadan discounts on thousands of commodities
Al Nuaimi also pointed out that the various cooperative societies and outlets have offered initiatives to support the reduction of prices of a wide range of commodities, especially those in high demand during the Holy Month – particularly hundreds of discount campaigns to be carried out before and during the month covering 10,000 items. He clarified that these campaigns are valued at around AED 300 million, at an increase of around AED 50 million compared to similar campaigns during the 2016 season. He said that discounts of as much as 50 to 75 per cent will be given on goods, with some to be sold at cost during the Holy Month.

Initiatives to enhance consumer awareness & interaction with regulatory authorities
Al Nuaimi emphasized the Ministry of Economy's commitment to enhance awareness among UAE consumers through several initiatives such as launching a radio advertisement during the Holy Month of Ramadan, deploying information kiosks in cooperatives and various outlets, printing and distributing brochures in all outlets, and distributing signs at fruit, meat, and poultry markets.
He explained that these initiatives fall within the framework of the Ministry's recognition of the importance of consumer awareness in effectively protecting consumer rights as well as in enhancing market stability. He referred to various pillars, most notably protecting the consumer from products and services that affect health and safety, the consumer’s right to choose among alternatives with quality assurance, the need to properly plan shopping and limit budgets for buying, and the rationalization of consumption.

Al Nuaimi emphasized the importance of effective interaction between consumers and regulatory authorities through communication with the Consumer Protection Call Center at the Ministry of Economy which can be contacted on 600522225. He referred to this as a way to activate the monitoring consumer initiative which allows consumers to participate in the regulatory process by presenting their suggestions, observations and complaints related to consumer protection. In this regard, Al Nuaimi pointed out that the Ministry will be extending its call center’s working hours during the Holy Month of Ramadan to be from 8am to midnight. 

Developing the Goods Monitoring Program
Al Nuaimi shared that the Ministry is currently developing the Goods Monitoring Program and expanding its services to include advanced and effective mechanisms for controlling goods, receiving consumer complaints, and following up progress, in addition to developing awareness messages related to the state of the market and the establishment of an observatory for international commodity prices. He noted the importance and effectiveness of this initiative in reducing the number of complaints related to price discrepancies.

450 inspections in Ramadan
In terms of monitoring the markets and outlets to ensure the commitment of traders and respect for price controls, Al Nuaimi explained that the Ministry of Economy plans to conduct field visits for the Ramadan season that will cover cooperative societies; outlets; grocery stores; and meat, chicken and fish markets across the different emirates. The inspections will ensure that prices are maintained at current levels and secure the commitment of outlets and markets in implementing the initiatives announced and agreed upon by the Ministry. He said that there will be a total of 450 announced and unannounced visits.

Al Nuaimi said that the Ministry conducted 14,468 inspections in 2016, 11605 of which are consumer protection -related, meanwhile 1,537 inspections have been conducted during the first quarter of 2017, 1165 of which are consumer protection -related.

Recall of Commodities
The Director noted that the Ministry has established a mechanism for recalling commodities through a special website which explains the rationale behind the pullouts.  The website will educate consumers on the quality and potential damage of the products involved. In addition, the commodities will be published in newspapers for three (3) days to inform consumers and enable them to take preventive measures.

Al Nuaimi said that a total of 275,299 goods were recalled, with cars and electronic devices accounting for the largest proportion of recovered goods. He revealed that 165063 cars and around 90,378 electronic devices, and 19,858 kids items were pulled out of the market during the first quarter of 2017.

Text messages for auto recall initiative
To raise awareness among UAE car owners on recall cases concerning specific models to protect their rights and ensure their safety, Al Nuaimi said that the Ministry of Economy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Interior. Under the agreement, the Department of Traffic Coordination will communicate with owners of recalled cars, and if the owners cannot be reached by their dealers, then the Ministry of Interior will send them text messages informing them of the recovery campaign and advising them to consult with their respective dealers.

Consumer complaints
Finally, Al Nuaimi pointed out that the Ministry of Economy’s Department of Consumer Protection continues to work with the concerned authorities to resolve consumer complaints in accordance with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Law and its executive regulations. He said that a total of 10,283 complaints were filed by the end of the first quarter of 2017 from the various emirates. The cases fell under nine categories: high prices, cars, electronics, telephones, furniture, spare parts, tires, credit cards, and miscellaneous complaints.