DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has taken action against four popular restaurants that raised their prices without approval from the ministry.
The eateries were forced to revoke their decision and go back to their previous prices, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
All eateries and cafeterias are required to take prior permission from the department concerned at the ministry before imposing a hike in prices of any of the items on their menu. Any unilateral hike in prices is a violation of law and invites stern action, the ministry has warned.
The four eateries were booked during an inspection campaign that covered 198 restaurants and cafeterias. The surprise raids were intended to detect erring eateries and ensure full compliance with the law, said the ministry.
The ministry has urged the public to report if they come across any restaurant that violates the law, especially in terms of prices.
Industry sources have revealed that the authorities, of late, have intensified inspections at eateries to ensure that they abide by the rule related to prices.
They started implementing this rule strictly since early last year, said a source.
Earlier, eateries were free to fix their prices on their own, which led to several complaints from the public and calls for government intervention to curb price hikes.
The ministry has assigned a toll-free number (8005000) for the public to lodge complaints against erring eateries and other commercial entities. People can also use the hotline service (44945550, 44945500), send a text message to 92665 or email to cbd@mec.com.qa
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