Carrefour chastised for Ajman price rises

Inspectors visit food outlets around UAE to stop inflation.

AJMAN // Inspectors discovered that the Carrefour hypermarket in Ajman inflated prices of some foods during Ramadan, in violation of an agreement with the Government. Dr Hashim al Nuaimi, the director of the department of consumer protection at the Ministry of Economy, said the store was found to have increased prices of several basic foods, including chicken, during the holy month.

"We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Carrefour, and its top managers signed it to maintain a set price; we're surprised to see these violations," he said. Dr Nuaimi warned Carrefour to immediately restore the prices that it had agreed to, or the Government would take action. He did not specify what steps the ministry might take to punish the store. The inspection was part of a wider initiative to stop stores from artificially inflating prices during Ramadan. The inspectors have also visited the emirate's fruit and vegetable markets, Lulu Centre, and other major outlets.

Dr Hashim said the fruit and vegetable markets had notably made good progress in adhering to government-set prices. Most of their products now had price tags, he noted. Sheikh Sultan al Nuaimi, the director of the Ministry of Economy office in Ajman, added that his office was following consumer prices in the emirate on a daily basis. [e-mail]