CCTVs, new signboards part of Sharjah groceries' facelift

A brochure distributed to the groceries shows how a grocery should ideally look after the modification.

As part of new regulations, all the groceries in Sharjah will have to install CCTV cameras along with unified signboards that carry the trade name in black and bright letters.
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The Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) has distributed circulars regarding the new regulations and guidelines to all the groceries in Sharjah. They were instructed to implement the regulations within a year. The move is aimed at organising the business activities of the groceries in the emirate.
The new regulations focus on conditions related to food control, security and mechanism of operating groceries, which are all important for ensuring a healthy environment.
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According to the circular, the area of the grocery premises must not be less than 30 square metres and not more than 99 square metres, with ceramic floor tiles. The walls must be free of cracks and painted with white oily paints and the false ceiling must not be less than three metre in height and made of steel. The groceries must have split air conditioners and the front side of the premise must be made of glass.
The grocery should be equipped with steel shelves for keeping bakery products. The height of the shelves in the middle of the shop must be lesser than 160cm. The shops should have proper cooling system such as steel refrigerators for preserving fruits and vegetables as well as net metal shelves to store 5 gallons of water.
CCTV cams a must
The security conditions of the groceries include installing of CCTV cameras, obliging to public discipline, culture and tradition of the emirate.
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General conditions include implementing social responsibility of allocating part of the business to support the small business projects of UAE youths. Uniform signboards carrying the shop's name and abiding by the health regulations introduced by the Sharjah Municipality are among other requirements.
Sultan bin Haddah Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the SEDD, told Khaleej Times that the unified signboards would contribute to the beauty of the city and would make it easy for residents to recognise the location of the groceries. "These regulations are aimed at organising the operation of the groceries to provide best services for the customers," he added.
Al Suwaidi explained that the guidelines will prevent overstocking and improper storage of goods. This would make it easy for inspectors and the consumers to check the validity of the products and its expiry date. The security conditions would be beneficial for the grocery owners, and would help police investigation in case of any crime that could occur in the premises.
One-year deadline
He said the groceries have been given one-year period from March 25 to amend and upgrade the shops, adding that the department expected 95 per cent of the shops to comply with the regulations by the beginning of 2018.
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"The SEDD has given enough time to the groceries to rectify their situation. No fines will be issued for violations regarding these regulations before the deadline," he said, adding that implementation of these conditions would not cost the grocery owner much. Most of the groceries require to do small modifications to the premises.
Sheikha Shaza Al Mulla, Director of the Health Department at the Sharjah Municipality, said that the municipality's role is to ensure that the groceries are following these regulations. The municipality will not issue new licence without ensuring that the shop is in compliance with the SEDD regulations.
Major regulations
> The area should not be less than 30sqm and larger than 99sqm
> CCTV systems should be installed
> Unified signboards displaying the shop's name
> Centralised or split air conditioning system
> Steel refrigerating system to display and store vegetables and fruits
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com