DOHA: Retail prices of hundreds of basic commodities and services are likely to be fixed by the government by the second quarter of 2013 in a bid to prevent outlets from manipulating pricing and taking hapless consumers for a ride.
Laundries and barber shops are most likely to be included among the service outlets whose rates are to be frozen by the government.
The consumer protection law of 2008 is being amended to pave the way for forming a high-profile inter-ministerial committee that would prepare an extensive fair price list for the various commodities and services that would be binding on outlets.
The said panel would be additionally tasked to carry out regular monitoring of the outlets, including local manufacturers, to make sure that they comply with the price freeze.
The panel will have members from the Consumer Protection Department (CPD), the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Environment and Qatar Chamber, representative body of the private sector.
To tighten screws on retail outlets, they might be required to seek additional approval from the Specifications and Standards Department of the Ministry of Environment to launch promotions. Permitting promotions are presently a prerogative of the CPD at the Ministry of Business and Trade.
Service outlets might be asked to seek approval from the Civil Defense before their licenses could be issued or renewed. The idea is to make sure that they comply with safety rules.
CPD inspectors are already armed with judicial powers to conduct raids on retail, wholesale as well as manufacturing and storage facilities of consumer goods and initiate legal action against violators. After amendment, the consumer protection law might confer similar powers on the employees of the Standards and Specifications Department as well.
The Advisory Council yesterday discussed the proposed amendments to the above law, and ratified the draft unanimously which talks of introducing maximum caps on the retail pricing of consumer goods and services and curtailing profit margins of the traders.
The report of the Council’s economic and financial affairs committee was tabled in the House for discussions.
The committee had earlier held meetings with senior CPD and business and trade ministry officials to discuss the proposed amendments and the price fixing mechanisms. The draft of the proposed amendments is to be referred back to the State Cabinet.
The Peninsula
