Ministry holds awareness event on fake products

SATYENDRA PATHAK

DOHA IN an effort to protect residents from commercial frauds, the Consumer Protection Department of the Ministry of Business and Trade has organised an exhibition cum workshop for the Qatari consumers to distinguish between counterfeit and original goods.

The department displayed various forms of counterfeit and adulterated items during the exhibition, making the consumers aware about such products.

Officials of the department also highlighted the features of the original models of these products at the event.

Participants at the programme were enlightened about methods of detecting fake products by presenting awareness material using modern techniques.

The workshop, which began in the first week of March, is being held under the slogan ‘Protect consumer rights and duties’. The event coincided with the eighth GCC consumer protection week.

A special children corner was also organised on the sidelines of the exhibition to make children aware about their rights as consumers.

Leaflets, brochures and souvenirs were distributed on the occasion to make consumers aware about their rights.

“The aim of organising such events are to raise awareness and educate the local consumers about their rights and duties and to identify methods of sound procurement methods and use of services and knowledge of laws and regulations that safeguard the rights as consumers,” a senior official of the consumer protection department said.

The Ministry of Business and Trade recently launched innovative e-service on smart phones for the local consumers.

Using smartphones, consumers can now access an innovative e-service of the trade ministry in both Arabic and English languages, to compare prices of different items of daily use, including foodstuff, at various shopping complexes and instantly lodge a complaint with the consumer rights’ watchdog if they discover any violation.

Complainants can also click photographs of items with their phones if they are overpriced or past their expiry date, or if any other violation is detected, and forward the images to the Consumer Protection Department (CPD) of the trade ministry to support their complaint and seek punitive action.

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