JEDDAH: At a recent workshop organized by and held at the Asharqia Chamber of Commerce, top officials called for private investors to set up laboratories and quality-control systems to assist in combating the rising problem of fake car parts in the Kingdom.

The chamber said the activation and speedy establishment of such organizations would be a major contributor in eliminating fraud and protecting consumers.

“Customs is dealing with the private sector in terms of establishing partnerships and signed agreements with specialized companies as well as trained customs officers to help them differentiate between original products and fake ones,” said Saleh Al-Khelaiwy, general manager of the Saudi Customs Department. He added that eight million counterfeit items have been confiscated during the first half of this year. He also confirmed that a quarter of a million tires have also been seized since the Customs Department established a tire-testing laboratory two years ago.

Also speaking on the subject, Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Shurayie, chairman of the Asharqia Board said that fighting commercial fraud and counterfeiting requires a lot of effort and mechanisms in place.

According to statistics reported by the Asharqia Chamber, Saudi Arabia loses SR41 billion due to fraudulent parts each year, not to mention individual losses.

“Of every 6,000 fatalities due to accidents on Saudi roads, half of these are the result of using fake spare automobile parts,” said Ahmed Al-Dedy, manager of Governmental Technical Services at Exova Co.

Consumers on the other hand say that differentiating between original and counterfeit parts doesn’t necessarily need a laboratory, adding that it can be as easy as looking at the product’s point-of-origin label or trademarks on the part.

“I have been looking for parts for my 2000 Chevy Caprice and have found AC Delco parts in the market in the Kingdom, which are originally made in the US, stating they are made in China.

This should tip off customs that these are fake parts since AC Delco only sends its products to its own licensed distributors around the world,” said Saudi consumer Ali Al-Jifry, adding that he has decided to order the parts he needs from the US rather than trusting local stores in the Kingdom.