Setting up a Joint Operation Center for Rapid and Direct Response and Intervention Including 17 Government Authorities
The Council of Ministers, chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, has approved today the plan for consumer protection, aiming at enhancing the government's role in protecting the consumers against the unjustified increases in prices of commodities and products, as well as against any trade violations, concurrent with the implementation of the economic reform decisions during the coming period. This plan includes as well a rapid and direct intervention towards any act or activity that would affect the supply and demand.
This plan comes within the framework of integration with the financial balance program, as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiatives, also for enhancing the roles of the parties concerned to protect and preserve the rights of consumers against any attempt to exploit such reforms, and to ensure the stability of commodities prices.
The Consumers Protection Plan includes setting up a Consumer Call Center and a Joint Operations Center, consisted of the concerned authorities to enhance the consumers protection and to preserve their rights, besides enabling the consumers to report and lodge complaints against any exploitation or violation related to these reforms in various sectors, also for monitoring the performance of the concerned parties dealing with consumers reports and complaints.
Working is being processed to launch online application “Bayyenah”, which will enable the consumers to know their rights and to raise awareness of the decisions related to economic reforms.
The aforementioned plan also includes raising the awareness of the consumers’ rights, as well as setting up workshops and granting incentives to field inspectors and observers.
The 17 government authorities participating in the Operation Center to include: Ministry of Commerce and Investment, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture , General Authority for Food and Drug, General Authority for Zakat and Income, Electricity and Dual Production Authority, General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage, General Organization for Statistics, the Council of Competition Protection, the Consumer Protection Association.