For periods ranging from two months to two years, and fines of up to two million dirhams

«Economy»: The Consumer Protection Law stipulates that violators may be imprisoned

The ministry revealed the entire law yesterday for the first time.

archival

The Ministry of Economy confirmed that Federal Law No. (15) of 2020 regarding consumer protection stipulates the permissibility of imprisonment in 14 articles of the law, in contrast to the previously applicable Consumer Protection Law, which is Law No. (24) of 2006, which is completely devoid of the penalty of imprisonment. For violators of the articles of the law, noting that this aims to ensure the provision of maximum protection for the rights of consumers and deter violators.

The law, which was fully revealed by the ministry, for the first time yesterday, clarified that the fourth chapter related to penalties imposed on violators of the law, stipulates the permissibility of imprisonment and a financial fine or one of the two penalties in specific articles, with imprisonment in the new law for periods ranging from two months to two years as a maximum. The fine ranges between 3000 dirhams and a maximum of two million dirhams, depending on the violation.

Imprisonment passport

Topics that may be imprisoned, according to the law, relate to monopolistic practices and breach of the obligations of the supplier of a good or service upon discovery of a defect or defect in it, in addition to non-conformity of the goods with standard specifications and health and safety rules, and non-compliance with the guarantees that should be provided to consumers, as well as the inclusion of conditions that harm the consumer. In the contract, describing the good or service with incorrect data, in addition to not licensing the promotion and not using the Arabic language in the data and contracts.

sanctions

Article (29) stipulates in the chapter on penalties that a penalty of imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years and a fine of no less than 10 thousand dirhams and not more than two million dirhams, or one of these two penalties, may be imposed for anyone who violates the provisions of Articles (7), (10) and (11 ), (12), (15), (16), (17), (21) and the provisions of the first, second and third items of Article (8) of the law, while Article (30) stipulates that a prison sentence of no more than six months is permissible. And a fine of not less than 3000 dirhams and not exceeding 200,000 dirhams, or either of these two penalties, whoever violates any of the provisions of Articles (18), (19), (20), (26) and the fourth item of Article (8) of this law shall: The penalty shall be doubled in the event of recurrence.

confiscation or destruction

And Article (31) in the same chapter stipulates that the competent court, when passing a verdict of conviction in any of the crimes stipulated in the law, may order the confiscation or destruction of the goods, materials and tools used at the expense of the convict, and the closure of the place or place where the crime occurred for a period not exceeding three months and publishing the judgment of conviction at the expense of the convict in two local daily newspapers, one of which is in Arabic, with the provision that imprisonment for a period not exceeding two months and a fine equivalent to twice the market value of the seized goods and tools, or one of these two penalties for anyone who disposes of the goods in any way And tools that are illegally seized by the competent authority.

3000 dirhams is the minimum fine for violators of the articles of the law.

• The cases in which imprisonment is permissible relate to certain cases, including monopoly and non-conformity of the commodity to specifications.

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