Al-Tuwaim thanked the GCC delegations that participated in the workshop for endorsing the Kingdom’s proposals and including them among the Doha event’s recommendations. He had proposed setting up Supreme Council for Consumer Protection in the GCC states. He also underlined the need for creating general authorities for the protection of consumers in all six Gulf states.

Al-Tuwaim made the proposals while addressing the workshop on best practices to distinguish between original and counterfeit products that concluded in Doha on Wednesday. The Consumer Protection Department (CPD) under the Qatari Ministry of Business and Trade organized the four-day event.

Al-Tuwaim, who led the Saudi delegation to the workshop, urged GCC states that do not have a consumer protection body to take steps to establish one. He made several proposals to make the organizational system for consumer protection in the GCC states more effective and flawless. “This is imperative to serve the interests of consumers with regard to protection of their health, wealth and environment as well as to ensure their safety,” he said.

Al-Tuwaim underscored the significance of implementing these regulations, especially when the GCC markets are inching closer toward an open market with more economic freedom. He said the issue of consumer protection is the responsibility of all. “It is strange that there are no higher authorities or entities for the protection of consumers’ interests in the GCC states. On the other hand, there are several such entities and even independent ministries for consumer protection in the Western states,” he said.

Al-Tuwaim also underlined the need for enhanced coordination among the concerned higher agencies for consumer protection in the GCC states. “It is essential to have concerted efforts at local and GCC levels in this respect rather than the existing isolated efforts by some agencies or departments,” he said.

The workshop was conducted as a training session for field staff members of Qatar’s CPD to help them differentiate between genuine brands and their imitations. The workshop underlined the need for resources to crack down on counterfeit products and price manipulators, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the session.

The workshop has come out with several recommendations to safeguard the interests of consumers in the GCC states. Reading out the recommendations in a press conference, Dr. Mohammed Al-Kuwari, assistant undersecretary for laboratories and standardization affairs at the Qatari Ministry of Environment, said a federation of consumer protection bodies from all GCC states should be set up under the umbrella of the GCC General Secretariat. “This is necessary to ensure closer coordination among regional associations concerned with consumer rights protection in a bid to get rid of the menace of counterfeit goods,” he said while calling all consumer bodies in other GCC states to cooperate and help build similar agencies in regional countries that do not have them yet.

The workshop also recommended restructuring the management of existing consumer societies and converting them into independent bodies to make them more effective. “To make them more effective and powerful, they should be provided with adequate staff and more judicial powers so that they can discharge their duties in the best possible way,” he said.

The workshop also recommended bringing all institutes and associations concerning product quality control under the umbrella of the proposed GCC Supreme Council for Consumer Protection.

An exhibition of counterfeit products was held on the sidelines of the workshop in which representatives of a number of major private companies from GCC states took part.

It has been proposed to facilitate effective coordination among customs departments, consumer protection bodies, specification and standardization bodies, specialized laboratories and others by using the latest technology and means of communications.

The workshop has proposed implementing a transparent mechanism to ensure better cooperation and communication with consumers, companies, leading brands, suppliers, agencies, dealers, sub-dealers and others to combat the menace of counterfeiting. It was also suggested to form technical committees consisting of experts from various disciplines to unearth fake goods rackets quicker.