The Minister of Economy and Trade in the caretaker government, Amin Salam, accompanied by the Director of Consumer Protection at the ministry, Tarek Younes, and several inspectors, toured various sectors this afternoon, particularly food products, to ensure compliance with the decisions and laws in force at the beginning of Ramadan. This comes following complaints received by the ministry from citizens about the sharp rise in prices between different centers or commercial institutions without any controls, amidst security measures by the State Security.
Minister Salam started his tour at the Coop cooperative in Sabra, where he checked prices and ensured the quality of various food products. He requested an official invoice list from those responsible at the commercial center to determine the legal profit margin and the dates of the food products. He met with citizens in the area who complained to him about the random price hikes of food items, vegetables, and sweets in Beirut and its surroundings.
Salam promised to continue his tours with the Consumer Protection Department and inspectors, issuing reports against those manipulating prices, leading to the sealing of their businesses with red wax and hefty fines. He then inspected "Ramal" supermarket and "Fadi for Vegetables – Fruity" establishment in Janah, where the monitoring team requested official invoices for price comparison.
Salam pointed out that "today's inspection tour is part of the work of the Ministry of Economy and the Consumer Protection Department, especially after the spread of news and complaints we received about rising commodity prices." He stated, "We monitored these complaints over the week, and it became clear to us that we all need to stand beside the people, starting from the top to the smallest official in the Consumer Protection Department, to safeguard their rights and send a message to traders, from vegetable sellers to the largest supermarkets, that we are always present."
He added, "We are ensuring that prices conform to acceptable margins within the applicable Lebanese laws." He further noted, "Our presence on the ground instills a sense of responsibility among traders in all regions, even if our tour is in another area."
He assured that "the ministry and administration's tours will continue weekly during Ramadan, aiming to enhance oversight presence and confirm the role of the Ministry of Economy and Consumer Protection," noting that "inspectors have issued hundreds of reports each month against violators over the past two years, which has made a difference, created a sense of responsibility, and protected the citizen." He expressed hope that today's tour will achieve these goals.
Regarding the reports issued, he clarified that they are "messages to crisis traders who exploit people," adding, "We are moving towards amendments to the Consumer Protection Law." He highlighted that "the next phase will be very tough in terms of financial penalties and criminal sanctions," wishing for a swift process to seal businesses in red and for the Consumer Protection Department to take immediate actions to give a quick and effective role on the ground, alleviating some of the logistics issues that take months or years to resolve in court.
He concluded: "We will always be vigilant against those who harm consumers. We have worked on a new law that will make a significant difference in terms of accountability in the market."
In response to questions from Warda's correspondent, Minister Salam confirmed that he is a natural and constant candidate for the premiership, expressing his readiness to serve his country in any position. On the vacancy of the presidency and who bears responsibility, Salam stated: "Everyone bears responsibility for not electing a President of the Republic. We act as ministers despite the vacancy," emphasizing that former minister Jibran Bassil does not solely bear the responsibility for the current situation in Lebanon, as the obstruction is greater than one person.
For his part, the Director of Consumer Protection stated: "We at the Consumer Protection Department are intensifying our tours during Ramadan. We had begun our tours before the month to ensure that prices do not rise illegally and unacceptably." He added, "The Minister of Economy accompanies today's monitoring tour, and our goal is to highlight the daily inspections we conduct. Despite the difficult conditions, inspectors conduct monitoring tours daily."
He continued: "As the Consumer Protection Department, when we monitor, we are in the first phase, ensuring prices, which is a fundamental right for citizens. In the second phase, we check that the price at the checkout matches the price on the supermarket shelf, to prevent any discrepancies. The third phase pertains to profit margins, particularly as there are acceptable profit margins that sellers should not exceed, especially during Ramadan, which is a month of goodwill."
He explained that consumer protection tours are ongoing throughout the year, stating: "We started our tour today in the Tariq al-Jedideh - Dena area, which is a popular area where citizens come to shop and buy their needs to prepare iftar meals." He added, "We will continue this tour with Minister Salam in other areas." He emphasized that "the Consumer Protection Department's monitoring tours will continue throughout the holy month and throughout the year to ensure that merchants do not violate the applicable laws."
In response to a question about a shortage of human resources in the Consumer Protection Department, he said: "Yes, there is a shortage of human resources in the department in terms of the number of inspectors, especially since they go through difficult conditions." He noted that "public sector employees receive very low salaries," stating, "Despite that, these individuals work hard and try to be present on the ground at all times, as this is a duty and a humanitarian message."
