The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has stressed the importance of adhering to consumer laws from suppliers and retail outlets. The MoCI recently conducted extensive inspection efforts in order to monitor suppliers’ obligations when it comes to consumer protection.
Commercial activities in the State of Qatar must be monitored – for instance, regulations on controlling prices must be implemented, as well as uncovering violations that do not value consumer rights. In the ministry’s most recent inspection campaign, 127 different violations were discovered, which includes deceptive advertising or false data presented or displayed, as well as prizes that were not delivered as promised when it comes to promotions from the date of the draw of a certain giveaway.
These violations also cover products that are still being sold even when past the expiration date, along with a service warranty that has not been offered or administered in a given period. This also includes offering discounts without licenses, and the non-issuance of full data bills to name a few. Penalties can range between QR5,000 to QR30,000. This is in accordance with the regulations of the Consumer Protection Department.
All these are measures taken by the government to ensure that the business operations in Qatar will continue to run smoothly, and that the economy can still thrive in the midst of the pandemic. In line with this, measures are slowly easing up around the State, such as the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announcing that thermal screening for Covid-19 is now only required in specific places.
Screening is no longer necessary in public places with the exception of airports and seaports, the land border, and metro stations. This is in line with Phase 4 of the Gradual Lifting of Restrictions in the country. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has also urged individuals to receive Covid-19 vaccine booster doses if they are eligible.
“It is clear from the latest clinical evidence that for most people the protective immunity obtained from the first two doses of the vaccine gradually begins to decline after eight months. Everyone currently eligible for a booster dose is considered to be at high risk of severe Covid-19 infection due to either their age or health status. For this reason, it is essential that people act quickly and come forward for their booster dose appointment when invited,” says Dr. Soha Al Bayat, Head of Vaccination at MoPH.
“Clinical evidence from Qatar and around the world shows booster doses to be safe and effective. The risk of side effects following the booster vaccine dose is no higher than the risk associated with the primary vaccine series. Since the start of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Program, and following the administration of more than 4.7 million vaccine doses, we have only seen a small number of people reporting very mild or modest side effects including low-grade fever, mild headache, fatigue and soreness at the injection site, which is commonly seen with other vaccines,” says Dr. Samya Al Abdulla, Senior Consultant of Family Medicine and Executive Director of Operations at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
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Unlike any other Business Consultancy company in the State of Qatar, Afreno includes under its umbrella three closely-linked comprehensive services: business advice, legal negotiation and real estate possibilities. This means that any project, however complex, can be dealt with in all its aspects. Added to this is our wide range of reliable clients and trusted business contacts, plus our up to the minute awareness of what is going on in the markets, whether GCC or local. Your business venture will be backed by our in-depth knowledge, the valuable connections we have built over time, and our solid reputation, ensuring that you succeed quickly, whatever enterprise you are involved in. All this will be achieved with the minimum of stress; unsurprisingly Afreno has become the point of reference for anyone wishing to incorporate or grow their business in the local market.
