“Where is the price?” he demanded, stopping before a heap of watermelons bearing neither price stickers nor a sign. Vendors are quick to come forward with explanations or complaints. “I try to open communication with all these sellers. They know they are not allowed to make any price increases during the Ramadan season,” he said.
On the third day of the holy month, Dr Al Nuaimi gave out official warnings to 11 vendors and most were reprimanded for not clearly labeling prices, which leaves the door open to price distortion. “When [sellers] see you are a local person, for example, they give a more expensive price because they think you have the money to pay for it. If you are not local, then they reduce the price,” he explained.
The Consumer Protection Department follows up on warned outlets within a 24-hour period to see if they have rectified mistakes, imposing fines of anywhere from Dh5000 to Dh100,000 for continued violations, said Dr Al Nuaimi.
Overall, he said, the outlook was positive. “All the items are available and most [sellers] have normal, fair prices, but some -maybe two or three- have increased them. We will continue to monitor this,” he added. Consumers are encouraged to report any price manipulations to the Ministry of Economy at the phone number 600 522 225. - KT
