Committee works to uphold customer interests
His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection, headed the fourth meeting of the Committee in Dubai, and discussed measures to manage food prices. The Committee reviewed and turned down requests from suppliers for price hikes, highlighting its objective of upholding consumer interests.
Key issues discussed at the meeting include the Food Security Plan and an Early Alert System to ensure that the prices of essential goods are managed effectively.
Mr Mansouri said the Committee is committed to ensure that consumers are not exposed to unfair prices of essential goods, and works to strengthen the harmonious relations between suppliers and consumers. “Consumer protection is a priority for us and is essential in strengthening customer confidence and thus driving domestic demand,†he added.
The Committee discussed the Food Security Plan and the storage process that has been implemented by the UAE to manage food supply. The Committee also highlighted the results of the Memorandums of Understanding that the Ministry has signed with major retail outlets in the UAE. “These partnerships of the retail outlets with the Ministry highlight their corporate social responsibility to stablise commodity prices for the benefit of the public,†said Mr Al Mansouri.
The Early Alert System, another important topic of discussion, aims to investigate the reasons behind the shortage of commodities globally, and device means to avoid losses from unprecedented price rises and supply fluctuations in the international markets.
The Committee deliberated on the annual plan of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, which will monitor price changes in the UAE. The Department is currently preparing a Price Guide, which is aimed at protecting consumers from price manipulation and encouraging healthy competition among retailers.
For further information, please contact:
Nedal Al Asaad / Nizar Aridi
ASDA’A Burson Marsteller
E-mail: n.alasaad@asdaa.com, n.aridi@asdaa.com
