Photo source: MEC
Doha: Many essential commodities including rice, milk, sugar, chicken (fresh and frozen), flour and edible oil became cheaper from yesterday as the Ministry of Economy and Commerce announced a cap on the prices of over 400 food and non-food items.
The Ministry yesterday released a list of 418 items that will be covered under the price freeze. The announcement is a part of a special Ramadan initiative launched by the Ministry under the theme #Aqal_Min_Al_Wajeb, translated as “#the_least_we_can _do”.
The revised prices will be in force until the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. The list of Ramadan price cap is issued by the Ministry every year since 2011.
Based on the fact that, expenditure on food products increase by 25 percent of the total expenditure during Ramadan, the MEC in coordination with retail outlets has reduced prices of 418 food and non-food items to ease the burden on consumers and relieve them from any additional costs incurred for purchasing goods, said the ministry in a statement.
The Ramadan cap list is issued in accordance to the decision of the Committee of Determining the Maximum Prices and Rate of Interests No1/2017 on Ramadan price list
The list of discounted consumer goods has been circulated to all major shopping malls in the country, and is accessible to consumers through the Ministry's website and social networking pages.
The list shows drop in the prices of many items such as the two litres of Al Marai fresh milk is now available at QR10, 1.75 litres of Nada fresh milk at QR8.50, Nadec fresh milk (1.75 litres) at QR8.25, Nadec long life milk (four bottles of one litre each ) at QR13 and Al Safi fresh milk (2litres) at QR10. The prices, in general did not show changes comparing to the previous year as many of them have come down by QR1 to QR2 or more.
A 5 kg bag of Punjab Garden basmati rice is now sold at QR26.75, Sunwhite rice at QR33.75 and Cleopatra Egyptian rice at 27.75.
Several popular brands of edible oil, sugar, pasta, olive oil, flour and several other most sought after items are also included in the prize freeze.
The Ministry stressed that it will not tolerate any violations of the Consumer Protection Law and its regulations, and will intensify its inspection campaigns to crack down on violations. The Ministry said it will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to competent authorities, who will in turn take appropriate action against perpetrators in order to protect consumer rights.
The ministry urges all consumers to report violations to the Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud department.
