(Pakistan Point News - 24th Oct, 2020) SHARJAH, 24th October 2020 (WAM) - Sharjah Economic Development Department "SEDD" handled 2,818 complaints received during the third quarter of this year 2020, while the number of inspection campaigns on various economic establishments in the emirate reached 35,566 ones during the same period.
In detail, consumer protection complaints acquired the largest share with 2564 complaints out of the total number of complaints handled. On the other hand, the number of commercial fraud complaints reached 153 ones, while the ones related to service agent hit 101 complaints.
Also, the consumer protection complaints were distributed to include many sectors. The complaints from auto and spare parts sector recorded 20% of the total consumer protection complaints received by the Department, while mobile phones and electronics complaints hit 15%. In addition, electrical appliances and building materials complaints reached 9%, personal service activities complaints recorded 8%, and furnishings and curtains were about 8% of the number of complaints. Fashion design and wedding services complaints were 6%, and tourism, travel and shipping complaints reached 4%, while other complaints were distributed unevenly in various other economic sectors.
Commenting on that, Sultan Abdullah bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, SEDD Chairman, said that the Department always seeks to enhance consumer culture by educating consumers and investors about their rights and duties. He clarified that such thing is done through an ideal commercial environment with a high culture of awareness and impartiality in the procedures of buying and selling in all economic sectors by following the highest international standards and practices. He illustrated that such results confirm the active role that SEDD plays in preserving consumers' rights, and the extent to which it can educate consumers and enhance the economic and commercial standing in the emirate.
Additionally, Al Suwaidi explained that SEDD is keen to address these complaints as soon as possible. This is done as an implementation of its strategy to improve the satisfaction and loyalty of key customers and partners, by adopting best practices in procedures and quality systems for performance development.
From his side, Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of Commercial Control and Protection Department at SEDD, stated that the Department works with merchants and consumers to create a fair relationship between the two parties. He carried on that SEDD communicated with consumers in Sharjah’s markets through all possible means, to educate them and inform them of their basic rights, as platforms, websites and continuous inspection campaigns, in addition to communicating with the merchants themselves and educating them about their rights and duties.
Avoiding Disputes Procedures Salim Al Suwaidi added that SEDD’s role is not limited to protecting consumers and investors only, but rather to familiarize traders with the systems and procedures adopted to avoid disputes or complaints against them, but rather to implement monitoring campaigns to ensure the safety of all economic practices in the emirate's markets. He also pointed out that the complaints rate during the third quarter of this year reflects the extent of consumers' response to the awareness campaigns and initiatives that are organized continuously and in a variety of ways.
These campaigns which the Department prepared aimed to educate the consumer and inform them about their rights and duties during the procurement process and aware them about the available means to submit complaints, as the Department has recently sought The latter is aimed at targeting the largest possible segment of consumers and merchants in order to inform them.
Furthermore, He explained that SEDD recently closed 6 economic establishments and alerted 3 other, due to their lack of commitment to implement the decisions related to preventive measures and precautionary controls. Such thing was applied during the inspection campaigns that the Commercial Officers carried out on the emirate's markets during the current period. Al Suwaidi likely stressed that SEDD will not tolerate with the facilities that violates the measures and procedures issued by the concerned authorities, and pointed out the importance of full cooperation from everyone to achieve the desired goals set to protect society in the current circumstances.
Moreover, SEDD calls on the public to communicate with it in the event of facing any violation through the call center hotline 80080000 or by visiting the consumer protection website www.shjconsumer.ae.
