Price agreements cover 160 items

Price agreements cover 160 items
The Ministry of Business and Trade has signed agreements with major retailers and suppliers in Qatar to sell 160 food and non-food items at “less than cost prices” from July 25, it was announced yesterday.
Addressing a press conference, Sheikh Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani, director of the Consumer Protection Department (CPD), said the ministry would be “strict with any unjustified price hikes” by local retailers.
“This is part of an initiative by HE the Minister of Business and Commerce Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz al-Thani to combat price rise as well as to relieve the burden on consumers by bringing down prices of basic food
items,” the director told reporters.
He also indicated that his department would put in place “effective mechanisms” to check any price rise, especially before the holy month of Ramadan.
“This is a measure against any irresponsible behaviour on part of some traders to hike prices at the start of the holy month.”
The official said the commodities which will be covered by the agreements included food items like cooking oil, wheat, flour, dairy products and juices as well as tissues and detergents.
He said the CPD had also entered into an agreement with a number of importers to bring more than 40,000 sheep from Syria to be sold at affordable prices during Ramadan.
He promised that his department would not spare efforts to launch similar initiatives which, he said, would seek to “enhance the competition spirit” between traders as well as to put suitable rules in place.
“The initiative to bring prices down during this time is part of social responsibility that should be taken over by traders. This is not the first time we have reached such an agreement with suppliers and traders. We have done it during the last Ramadan and it was a success,” he explained, while noting that this year’s initiative was expanded to include meat and some non-edible stuff like soaps and detergents.

Source: Gulf Times