Shop owners flout new price tag rules
03:14AM Tue 16 Apr, 2013
[caption id="attachment_31375" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Food and other items in a small shop in Jeddah are on the shelves without price tags. (AN photo)[/caption]
JEDDAH: Small and medium-sized markets, particularly neighborhood baqalas, are ignoring or are unaware of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s edict that all items on sale be marked with a price tag.
A random sampling by Arab News throughout Jeddah found that virtually all shopkeepers have not followed the new law, risking penalties. Indeed, many shopkeepers expressed defiance of the law, claiming their customers already know the prices of their products.
Commerce Ministry officials announced that they plan in-field inspection raids of all shops. Businesses violating the Commercial Data Law will be reported.
An official at the Ministry of Commerce said that this week alone 500 violations were detected at shops throughout the Kingdom.
“Many shops did not comply with the regulations to put the price tag on the items, even after they were given a grace period to rectify their situation,” said the official.
Shop owners face fines up to SR 1,000 for each item not marked with a price tag.
Inspection officials said many shops have complied with the regulations, while others have failed.
“Shop owners that do not comply with the new law have been warned. If the violations are repeated, the fines would be doubled,” said the official from the Commerce Ministry. “In case the offense recurs for the third time, the shop will be closed for a whole week.”
Many baqala operators acknowledged they are aware of the regulations, but don’t take them seriously.
“Yes, we know about the law but we don’t have adequate time to apply it,” said Mohammed Aslam, a shopkeeper of a medium-sized shop in the Corniche district. “If it is absolutely necessary we will put the price tags on products in the coming weeks. However, we will first need to talk with the sponsor about this law and after that we will comply, as we can’t make changes without the sponsor’s consent.”
Mohammed Danish, an Indonesian who runs a baqala in the Corniche district, said he was unaware of the order.
“There is not a single shop in the area that has applied the law, as they don’t know about it yet,” he said.
Commerce Ministry inspectors are using advanced technology to issue notifications and sanctions, including iPad devices, to register violations. A text message and an e-mail notifies the offender of the fine incurred and the payment method.
“The ministry will continue such inspection tours to make sure all shops comply with the regulations,” the official asserted.
Nadir Ismail, who operates a mini market in Rawdah district, took issue with the new law, telling Arab News that there is no reason to have price tags on all items.
“The prices of all the food items in the shop are familiar to customers; this is why we don’t feel there is need to place price tags on all the products,” Ismail said, adding, “Regular customers know the prices.”
Mohammed Kutty, a shopkeeper in Khalidia district, agreed.
“We don’t have price tags simply because our customers are well aware of the prices of our products,” said Rauf, another shopkeeper. He also wondered about the effectiveness of placing price tags on products that are placed in refrigerators, saying, “How will we prevent price tags from slipping off the products when they are moist due to being placed in the refrigerator?”
Food and other items in a small shop in Jeddah are on the shelves without price tags. (AN photo)[/caption]
JEDDAH: Small and medium-sized markets, particularly neighborhood baqalas, are ignoring or are unaware of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s edict that all items on sale be marked with a price tag.
A random sampling by Arab News throughout Jeddah found that virtually all shopkeepers have not followed the new law, risking penalties. Indeed, many shopkeepers expressed defiance of the law, claiming their customers already know the prices of their products.
Commerce Ministry officials announced that they plan in-field inspection raids of all shops. Businesses violating the Commercial Data Law will be reported.
An official at the Ministry of Commerce said that this week alone 500 violations were detected at shops throughout the Kingdom.
“Many shops did not comply with the regulations to put the price tag on the items, even after they were given a grace period to rectify their situation,” said the official.
Shop owners face fines up to SR 1,000 for each item not marked with a price tag.
Inspection officials said many shops have complied with the regulations, while others have failed.
“Shop owners that do not comply with the new law have been warned. If the violations are repeated, the fines would be doubled,” said the official from the Commerce Ministry. “In case the offense recurs for the third time, the shop will be closed for a whole week.”
Many baqala operators acknowledged they are aware of the regulations, but don’t take them seriously.
“Yes, we know about the law but we don’t have adequate time to apply it,” said Mohammed Aslam, a shopkeeper of a medium-sized shop in the Corniche district. “If it is absolutely necessary we will put the price tags on products in the coming weeks. However, we will first need to talk with the sponsor about this law and after that we will comply, as we can’t make changes without the sponsor’s consent.”
Mohammed Danish, an Indonesian who runs a baqala in the Corniche district, said he was unaware of the order.
“There is not a single shop in the area that has applied the law, as they don’t know about it yet,” he said.
Commerce Ministry inspectors are using advanced technology to issue notifications and sanctions, including iPad devices, to register violations. A text message and an e-mail notifies the offender of the fine incurred and the payment method.
“The ministry will continue such inspection tours to make sure all shops comply with the regulations,” the official asserted.
Nadir Ismail, who operates a mini market in Rawdah district, took issue with the new law, telling Arab News that there is no reason to have price tags on all items.
“The prices of all the food items in the shop are familiar to customers; this is why we don’t feel there is need to place price tags on all the products,” Ismail said, adding, “Regular customers know the prices.”
Mohammed Kutty, a shopkeeper in Khalidia district, agreed.
“We don’t have price tags simply because our customers are well aware of the prices of our products,” said Rauf, another shopkeeper. He also wondered about the effectiveness of placing price tags on products that are placed in refrigerators, saying, “How will we prevent price tags from slipping off the products when they are moist due to being placed in the refrigerator?”
Photos
