Ali Ahmed Safhan
INCREASED prices have become a part of people’s lives and a nightmare hovering over their hearts and pockets. Prices of commodities continue to rise and the disparity between retail outlets in the same city and even in neighborhoods is unreasonable. This is all happening under the eyes and ears of the Ministry of Commerce, something that is mind-boggling.
Prices change everyday. Because of the absence of monitoring and the presence of greedy traders increasing prices without justification, people pay extortionate prices. We know that the Ministry of Commerce requires retailers to label goods with prices, but no one supervises these prices and the way items are priced differently from one place to another.
The continued rise in prices calls for questions about the Consumer Protection Association and the supervisory role it should play. We hear about the association, but we do not see it playing a visible and tangible role in the lives of people. The problem of continuing high prices and their disparity is illogical, something that needs the attention of the Ministry of Commerce and the Consumer Protection Association. Economic freedom does not mean that traders are free to price goods as they see fit.
The Ministry of Commerce must tighten control on markets and prices, and hold traders accountable by asking them to show export bills to insure that price increases are justified.
There needs to be increased supervision and we should take advantage of mainstream and social media to raise awareness among consumers about the need to be informed before purchasing goods.
The Ministry of Commerce must launch a website that shows the real value of goods that reach the Kingdom in order to detect any increase in their cost after their arrival at their point of sale.
