Doha: Minister of Economy and Commerce H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani yesterday inaugurated a two-day international workshop ‘Achieving Effective Consumer Protection and Competition through Cross-Border Cooperation’.
The workshop, organised by the ministry in collaboration with the GCC General Secretariat and the US Federal Trade Commission, has brought together experts and specialists in the field of competition and consumer protection.
In his opening speech, the Minister stressed that the workshop is within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to adopt best regional and international practices in the field of consumer rights and competition protection.
He said the workshop provides an opportunity to transform ideas, initiatives and recommendations into actions that will reflect positively on Qatar’s consumers and business environment.
He said consumer protection and the promotion of competition represent two pillars of Qatar’s economic policies and catalysts for sustainable development in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
He said Qatar has made significant progress in terms of promoting consumer protection and competition through the adoption of laws that have contributed to the development of its business environment.
The Minister said new legislations, such as Law No. 19 of 2006 on competition protection and anti-monopoly practices and Law No. 8 of 2008 on consumer protection, have helped promote fair competition in local markets and allow consumers to better protect their rights and defend their interests.
Sheikh Ahmed said the ministry has encouraged the role of the administrative authorities responsible for protecting consumer rights, including the Competition Protection and Anti-Monopoly Practices Committee, which has been granted support to perform duties. He praised the ministry for achievements in the automotive sector in terms of easing car warranty restrictions by compelling dealers to grant clients the freedom to conduct periodic maintenance and repairs at workshops of their choice during warranty periods.
The initiative has motivated dealers to improve performance, increase competitiveness and enhance the quality of services.
He said the ministry has provided smart services through its mobile application, allowing users to accomplish transactions electronically without having to visit the ministry and submit complaints as well as access price indicators and learn about latest administrative closures and recall campaigns.
“Our efforts in the field of consumer and competition protection have bolstered Qatar’s position and strengthened our resolve and determination to launch new initiatives and projects in line with our vision of the future,” he said.
The Minister said Qatar has ranked first among Arab counties and sixth globally among 144 countries on the Consumer Confidence Index, according to the Global Competitiveness Report issued by World Economic Forum for 2015.
Qatar also ranked first in the Arab world and sixth globally on the Effectiveness of Anti-Monopoly Policy sub-index, third globally on the Intensity of Local Competition sub-index, and has won the Middle East Excellence Awards in Consumer Protection for 2015-2016.
The Minister said the workshop will contribute to enriching Qatar’s experience in the field of consumer protection and presents an opportunity for authorities to learn more about best regional and international practices in the area.
The first day of the workshop featured three sessions. The first was on topics pertaining to competition and consumer protection laws in the GCC and the US and matters relating to competition and consumer protection in the automotive sector.
The second session discussed cross-border cooperation and the third issues relating to commercial fraud, fraud verification methods and evidence collection methods.
The ministry has also stepped up efforts to protect consumer rights and regulate markets by prohibiting all outlets from charging any commissions on credit and ATM card purchases through POS systems.
It has also launched an initiative ‘How Much?’ through its mobile app on IPhone and Android devices under MEC_QATAR. The service enables consumers to report retail outlets, commercial establishments and points of sale that fail to display the prices of goods and services clearly.
The Peninsula
