As of the first quarter of the year, 7,394kg of non-compliant goods were confiscated nationwide, according to a report from the Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression Directorate-General (CCF).
According to the report seen by The Post on April 2, a total of198 inspections were carried out, 41 of them at large warehouses and wholesaling operations. The remainder of the inspections were of markets and individual vendors.
“In addition, 23 educational institutions were visited. Officials inspected the quality and safety of the food products which were sold on campus in a bid to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of students, who are the nation’s future,” it added.
Phan Oun, head of the CCF, said that in March, his offiicials inspected food and daily necessities that were on sale in 65 different markets. They confiscated 2,105kg of non-compliant goods and 1,389 litres of unsafe goods.
He noted that the CCF had also cracked down on counterfeit goods and those which infringed on intellectual property laws. In March, they temporarily confiscated more than 18 tonnes of such goods, pending further investigation, from four warehouses.
“Last Month, our officials also shared food safety regulations with the students, teachers and food vendors of 19 public and private educational institutions from across the Kingdom,” he said.
“We hope that the implementation of the Consumer Protection Law and other relevant legal documents – especially the transitional sanctions measures that CCF officials have been strictly enforcing in the past – acts of dishonesty in business have decreased to acceptable levels,” he added.
On March 22, specialists from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Economy and Finance met to discuss a draft two inter-ministerial prakas under the Food Safety Law, one defining fines for offenders and one defining the distribution of income from these penalties.
The commerce ministry explained that the two parkas will protect consumers and reduce fraud.
