MERCHANTS and traders who import and sell unhealthy, harmful or fake products could face up to one year in jail or be fined a maximum BD10,000, or both, for each offence.
Under the new consumer protection law being discussed at the Shura Council, the judge will have power to shut down the violating establishment for three months or have the commercial registration (CR) cancelled. In all cases, a verdict allowing the authority concerned to destroy or send the product back to its country of origin has to be issued at the expense of the violating merchant or trader.
Meanwhile, advertisers and print houses that promote products in the market despite knowing that they are harmful or fake will be sentenced up to three years in jail or fined BD5,000, or both.
The Industry and Commerce Ministry will have the right to close the violating company for three to seven months, but if a decision to terminate the CR is taken, then a replacement can't be issued once six months are over. A new, revamped consumer protection directorate will be set up in the ministry concerned to look into complaints and come up with policies to ensure customers' interests are protected.
"We have a misunderstanding between councillors on inspectors' duties as assigned under the directorate and we will look into it," said council member Hon. Dalal Al Zayed. "There are two opinions, one saying inspectors don't have enough powers, while others say they don't have clear powers," she said.