No price hikes until end of Ramadan

No price hikes until end of Ramadan Salah Al Deberky / 21 June 2013 Grocery outlets in the country will publish, from next week, a list of more than 60 products consumed during the holy month of Ramadan, with 50 per cent discounts. Products which are most favoured by people during Ramadan have been selected, and will be made available in the markets from June 25, well before the advent of the holy month giving consumers sufficient time to make purchases, said Dr. Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy. “The higher committee for consumer protection has decided to suspend all applications for increasing the prices of commodities, and no decisions will be taken on this count until the end of Ramadan,” Dr. Al Nuaimi said, noting that, the move was part of the ministry’s plan to support stability in prices in the markets during the holy month. As many as 100,000 Ramadan baskets containing a collection of discounted food items will also be made available. The department of consumer protection is in constant contact with sale outlets to be familiarised with all arrangements before the advent of the holy month, he said. The ministry is also keen on implementing Ramadan initiatives like the ration scheme through cooperation with major grocery outlets, he added. The Ministry of Economy, according to him, had contacted charity associations for coupons of the Ramdan ration and they will be distributed before June 25. “The Ministry is keen on developing the scheme which is largely meant for Emiratis, provided the associations supply the coupons with each one valuing between Dh300 and Dh500,” he said. He pointed out to the strong cooperation between the ministry and a number of major grocery outlets like the Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, Union Coop and Sharjah Coop. The ministry will also coordinate with suppliers to avoid any hikes in prices, and all 
measures will be taken to maintain the prices during Ramadan, he reiterated. news@khaleejtimes.com Taylor Scott International