Ministry of Economy Marks 12th GCC Consumer Protection Day Themed Towards Consumer-Safe Online Shopping
The Ministry of Economy has today (Thursday, March 2, 2017) memorialized the 12th GCC Customer Protection Day at the Sofitel Dubai Downtown Hotel. The wedding is celebrated by the Gulf Collaboration Council at the beginning of March each year and took on the theme of 'To Consumer-Safe Online Shopping' this year.
Authorities from numerous government and participating companies and the event's Special Board talked about consumer security tasks such as the news of rate cuts for a vast array of consumer goods in numerous UAE markets. National and regional efforts to place proper business methods and consumer protection as critical goals for all GCC countries with a concentrate on guidelines and methods for risk-free online-shopping were highlighted also.
The commemorative ceremony began with a speech prepared by H.E. Engr. Mohammed Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, and supplied on his behalf by Dr. Hashim Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director of the Ministry's Consumer Security Division. The speech highlighted that consumer security is of high priority in UAE and thus is continuously kept track of and created.
H.E. kept in mind the major activities taken to much better protect Gulf consumers which he described as basis for initiatives of GCC countries to create their markets and strengthen confidence in the region's consumer environment. He complimented today's region-wide occasion as an annual strategy mirroring the Gulf's unity and joint activities for protecting the legal rights of consumers and the wellness of all its inclusive societies.
At the local level, H.E. highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of Economic climate as stood for by the Department of Consumer Defense to resolve unlawful trade practices that endanger consumers, to uphold fair competitors, and to prevent scams and misuse.
H.E. likewise reviewed several of the decisions made during 2016 which have had a positive effect on customers, most especially transforming the minimum complementary car upkeep mileage from 5,000 to 10,000 kilometers, stopping the imposition of extra costs when using credit cards in trade and government services, and the smart transformation of the Ministry in terms of solutions associated with customer protection such as giving requests for price rises and replying to customer complaints and recalls. H.E. announced that the Ministry is set to release a brand-new system for obtaining consumer issues.
As part of the 12th GCC Customer Protection Day celebrations, the Undersecretary stated the introducing of a wide price decrease project that will run throughout the month of March in cooperation and coordination with the Consumer Cooperative Union and participating cultures. He said that the rate cuts reach up to 50 per cent and cover a variety of goods totaling 4,500 assets in various UAE markets.
He continued that many various other activities are being held to mark today's region-wide event, such as the distribution of posters and awareness pamphlets in order to spread out a society of guided and proper intake with a concentrate on instructions and practices for correct and safe e-shopping.
For his part, H.E Ahmed Mohamed Al Awadi, Director of Consumer Security Department at the Dubai Department of Economic Advancement, gave a discussion on e-shopping in which he shared that the department has actually received 1,230 problems from consumers through sites and social media sites platforms. He included that his company accepted the Telecom Regulatory Authority and various other concerned entities on the closure of numerous social media sites accounts that advertised phony products going against trademark and customer rights.
In his speech, Mr. Suhail Al Bastaki, Director of the Happiness and Marketing Department at the Union Cooperative Culture highlighted the crucial function of the culture in boosting consumer protection and producing a reasonable private sector market that makes certain balanced prices.
Other speakers at today's event described the consumer defense efforts of their respective companies and their contributions in spreading understanding regarding secure internet buying techniques. Amongst them were Mr. Abu Bakr T.B, Regional Shop Director at "Lulu hypermarket"; Mr. Kevin Jones, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Motors; Mr. Khalid Al Hosni, Chairman of the Emirates Culture for Customer Protection; and Mr. Guido Varalasko, General Manager of Ferrero, the corporate sponsor of this year's local GCC Consumer Security Day events.
