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Al Aweer salesmen warned against hiking prices

The Ministry of Economy has warned 16 salesmen at Dubai’s Al Aweer Fruits and Vegetable Market for not fixing price tags on the products they had put up for sale.

The warning notices were served during a tour of the market by the ministry’s Consumer Protection Department director Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi on Wednesday, where the violations committed by a number of salesmen such as not fixing price tags on items and increasing prices of certain fruits, were monitored and reported.

“The ministry...(has) made it binding for the fruit salesmen to reduce the prices, and to not impose unreal prices as per the information of the supplying companies” he said, noting the most prominent fruit that the ministry had called on the traders to slash the prices of included white grapes - the price of which has gone from Dh25 to Dh20 per kg.

“Cherry prices were reduced from Dh30 per kg to Dh20 per kg and pineapple from Dh15 per kg to Dh10 per kg”.

Surveillance tours of markets will continue throughout the holy month of Ramadan, and will cover different markets throughout the country, including vegetable markets in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, Dr Nuaimi said.

He warned that offenders caught repeating the offence will be prosecuted if they did not heed the warnings and notices, with fines ranging from Dh10,000 to Dh20,000 to be slapped on offenders for selling products at high prices.

“ No huge price hikes were found, especially in shopping malls, cooperative societies and main hypermarkets,” he said, and urged consumers to cooperate with the ministry by reporting any case of hike in prices, to be dealt with immediately .

“ The ministry had agreed with the suppliers of fruits and vegetables to follow the import of products on a daily basis, and watch out for any changes in prices”, he said.

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