Sharjah steps up inspections on markets ahead of Ramadan

Authorities aim to ensure correct prices are displayed

Authorities in Sharjah are intensifying inspections in malls and markets ahead of Ramadan to ensure all rules are followed. Photo: Sharjah Economic Development Department

Authorities in Sharjah are intensifying inspections in shops, malls and markets ahead of Ramadan.

The checks, overseen by Sharjah’s Economic Development Department, are aimed at ensuring proper pricing and that goods are sold as described.

They are being carried out throughout the emirate in men’s and women’s salons, and at gold and jewellery stores, which are usually thronged during the Holy Month.

“Inspections also focus on educating merchants about the importance of complying with laws and ensuring that consumers are aware of the price list of the products they buy,” said Salim Al Suwaidi, deputy director of commercial control and protection department at the department.

“Clarifying price lists and ensuring consumers aware of it will help combat commercial fraud and limit negative practices that some merchants may resort to,” he said.

He urged consumers to report any breaches by calling 800 80000 or visiting www.sedd.ae.

Ramadan is expected to begin on April 2 but the date will be determined by a moon-sighting committee.

Preparations begin for Ramadan – in pictures

• 

  Egyptian craftsmen produce Ramadan lanterns, called fanous, at a workshop in Cairo. EPA

• 

  An activist of the Al Khidmat Foundation Pakistan, a non-profit organisation, packs iftar food to be sent to Afghanistan, in Peshawar, in preparation for the start of Ramadan. AFP

• 

  Youths hold torches at a parade to welcome the holy month in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA

• 

  Palestinian volunteers clean the Al-Aqsa compound, in front of the Dome of Rock Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City. AP

• 

  Palestinians shop for traditional 'fanous', a decoration used to celebrate the start of Ramadan, in Hebron in the occupied West Bank. AFP

• 

  A Quran reading at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. EPA

• 

  A man cleans a mosque in the run-up to Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA

• 

  A vendor sells dates in Peshawar. EPA

• 

  A Palestinian man tries to attract custom for his fanous in Jerusalem. AFP

• 

  A Palestinian craftsman works on a section of an Islamic-style monument that consists of lantern and a crescent, two symbols of the Islamic holy month, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. AP

• 

  Palestinians shop at Al-Zawya old market in Gaza city in preparation for Ramadan. AFP

• 

  Shopping for decorations in Al-Zawya old market in Gaza city, in preparation for Ramadan. AFP

• 

  A woman buys a Ramadan decoration in Beirut. EPA

• 

  A shopkeeper sells prayer mats in Peshawar. EPA