His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, adopted Federal Law No. (3) for the year 2020 regarding organizing the strategic stock of food commodities in the country, aiming to organize the strategic stock of foodstuffs in the country in the event of crises, emergencies and disasters, and achieving sustainability in the field of food And the law specified penalties that amount to imprisonment and a fine of five million dirhams for anyone who violates the rule of distributing strategic commodity stocks in the event of an emergency, crisis or disaster.
The law set a number of obligations to implement the procedures of the law, and specified the competencies of the Ministry of Economy for the purpose of implementing the provisions of the law, which is to propose policies, plans and programs related to the strategic stock of food commodities in coordination with the competent authority and present them to the Council of Ministers for approval, and to coordinate with the joint economic committees of the countries supplying the goods about programs Related to the strategic stock of food commodities, and the development of plans and programs for the size and quantity of the safety stock and those related to increasing the capacity of the strategic stock of food commodities in the event of increased demand for food commodities.
The Ministry is specialized in preparing reports, studies, statistics and economic evaluation on food commodities, estimating the volume of consumption, determining surplus and deficit, preparing databases on the production and availability of food commodities in the country and countries of origin and following them up with suppliers, in addition to coordinating and implementing policies to secure, maintain and safety the strategic stock of food commodities.
The law specifies the Ministry for the periodic review to verify the balance of food commodities with the registered merchant, oversee the preparation of databases and electronic connectivity, regarding warehouses and strategic stocks of food commodities and requirements for storing food commodities, control the commitment of registered suppliers and merchants to the regulations and instructions related to the implementation of the provisions of this law, and define a list of names Food commodities and updating them, determining the size of the strategic stock of food commodities and the percentage of safety stocks, as well as reporting periodically to the cabinet on the strategic stock of food commodities in the country.
The law specifies the establishment of the ministry a record for registering and classifying suppliers and merchants, and defines the registration conditions and procedures, as well as the obligations of the provider and the registered merchant to define safety commitment in accordance with the provisions of the law, supply of strategic stocks of food commodities upon request, and electronic linking with the competent authority and the authority to ensure Continuously following up the quantities, varieties and status of the strategic stock of food commodities, and implementing the decisions issued by the competent authority.
The obligations also include the distribution of the strategic commodity stock in the event of emergencies, crises or disasters in accordance with the distribution plans that are prepared by the authority in coordination with the competent authority.
The law specified within the penal article a number of penalties that include a fine of not less than 500 thousand dirhams and not more than two million dirhams, for anyone who violates the obligations outlined in the law for the supplier and the registered merchant.
Whoever violates the electronic link with the competent authority and the authority to ensure the continuous follow-up of quantities, varieties and the status of the strategic stock of food commodities, and the violation of the preservation and management of the strategic stock of food commodities in accordance with the specifications and standards approved in the state.
Anyone who violates the provision of the strategic commodity stock in the event of emergencies, crises or disasters in accordance with the distribution plans that are prepared by the authority in coordination with the competent authority, while doubling the penalties prescribed for the crimes stipulated, shall be punished with imprisonment and a fine of no less than one million dirhams and no more than five million dirhams. In this law in case of repetition.
Judicial police
The law obligated the registered merchant to manage the strategic stock of food commodities and the warehouse, by specifying the location, area and size of the store designated for the strategic stock of food commodities, to be within the state, and to notify the competent authority of the location of the warehouse, as well as to preserve and manage the strategic stock of food commodities in accordance with the specifications and standards adopted in the state.
The law also specified among the articles that it is permissible to grant incentives and facilities to the registered provider and merchant in accordance with the conditions and controls issued by a decision of the Council of Ministers, based on the proposal of the Minister, and after coordination with the competent authority.
The law determines the possibility for employees who are determined by a decision of the Minister of Justice in agreement with the minister or the head of the competent authority, the capacity of judicial seizure officers to prove what is in violation of the provisions of this law and the regulations and decisions issued, in implementation of it within their jurisdiction.
The law aims to regulate the strategic stockpile of foodstuffs in the event of crises and emergencies.
The law specifies the obligations of suppliers and registered merchants and classifies them within the Ministry of Economy register.