MoCI committed to prevent market violations, price gouging
Commercial fraud, artificial price increases, domestic labor violations, fish auction abuses, and issues with subsidized goods and commercial licenses top the list of market violations.
• Faisal Al-Ansari, Director of the Commercial Control Department, revealed that inspectors recorded 600 rounds, seizures, and complaints in December 2024, including 156 seizure reports and 444 control rounds across Kuwait’s markets.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) reiterated its commitment to monitoring, inspecting, and preventing violations of the law with regard to commercial and industrial activities, and to initiating penalties against the perpetrators or referring them to the concerned entities for further action.
The comments were made by Director of the Commercial Control Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Faisal Al-Ansari during a media interview last week. He stressed that the ministry conducts regular inspection campaigns to ensure consumer protection and achieve fairness in the market.
“The year 2024 saw intense oversight by the ministry, and we will continue to address any excesses or anomalies that threaten the transparency of activities in the market or harm consumer rights,” said Al-Ansari.
Al-Ansari pointed out that in December 2024, teams from the ministry recorded a total of 600 inspection rounds, seizure reports, and complaints, which included156 seizure of goods or complaints and 444 inspection rounds across Kuwait’s markets.
He noted that the December statistics reflect the vigorous efforts exerted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to promote integrity and control commercial abuses. While the figures highlight significant challenges, the ministry affirms that it will continue to address any practices that threaten market stability and consumer confidence.
Elaborating on the infringements recorded by the ministry. Al-Ansari explained that the seized violations included offenses affecting societal values and Kuwait’s commercial system, and that some of the seized goods “violated public morals,” while others contained improperly printed Qur’anic verses.
He added, “Other violations were concentrated in the vegetable and fruit markets, where products were seized for lacking clear data such as package weight and country of origin, in addition to the absence of scales or price and weight labels.”
Al-Ansari explained that the most prominent violations also involved price manipulations, in the recruitment of domestic labor, and in the failure of commercial agents to secure imported goods or provide maintenance and repair services for goods under warranty.
He pointed out that inspectors have also monitored irregularities related to artificial price hikes, advertising offers and incorrect discount offers in shops and restaurants, as well as excesses in the organization of fish auctions and car rental services.
Al-Ansari said, “The violations did not stop there but extended to issues such as commercial fraud in state-subsidized goods, violations of regulations related to commercial licenses, and the prevention of cash transactions in some activities.”
During one of the control tours, Al-Ansari said that inspectors seized shops displaying imported fruits with false data about the country of origin. He pointed out that the shops were immediately fined, and those responsible were referred to the competent authorities.
