The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipality and the Environment and the Widam Food Company, announced a joint national initiative to encourage local production and subsidize lamb meat for the holy month of Ramadan for this year.
MOCI said in a press statement that the selling, with the new subsidized prices, will start Monday through the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in order to ensure the availability of lamb meat for citizens during the holy month at reasonable prices, in addition to controlling prices and taking into consideration the balance between supply and demand in the market.
The statement indicated that it was agreed with Widam is to provide about 30,000 heads of local and imported sheep, to be sold at subsidized and discounted prices to citizens (by two sheep per citizen), provided that the original identity card is presented at Widam slaughterhouses in Wakra, Al Shamal, Al Khor, Al Mazroua and Al Shahaniya.
The initiative set the price of the sheep at 1,000 riyals for the local sheep with weight between 30 to 35 kg, while the price of the Syrian sheep weighing (between 35 to 40 kg) is 950 riyals.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry stipulated that slaughtering should be carried out in the slaughterhouses to ensure that they reach the target group of this initiative, provided that the meets shall be delivered in a manner that ensures compliance with the precautionary requirements and preventive measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
MOCI pointed out that there are additional costs of 16 riyals for slaughtering, cutting and packaging, and 34 riyals (for the porter), to be paid through separate coupons.
The Ministry affirmed the continued intensification of its inspection campaigns on sales outlets in order to ensure that live sheep and other foodstuffs are available in the markets, stressing that it will take all necessary measures to protect the consumer, combat commercial fraud, protect competition and prevent monopolistic practices in order to protect the rights of consumers.
As part of its measures to curb the spread of the Corona virus emerging (Covid-19),The Ministry has obliged all the slaughterhouses in the state to a set of precautionary requirements such as providing sterilizers at the main entrances, checking the temperature of their employees twice daily, providing masks and gloves to workers and obliging them to use them properly when handling the carcasses.
Conditions also include workers washing their hands regularly before, during and after handling animals, checking the customers temperature when paying and receiving their orders, allocating specific hours for the elderly to limit their contact with others, along with disinfecting the floors and walls immediately after slaughtering, as well as carrying out disinfection operations on a daily basis on all slaughterhouse facilities including waiting halls, doors, knobs, meat delivery carts windows.
MOCI called on all the slaughterhouses to adhere to the precautionary requirements and said that it will work to intensify its inspection campaigns and will prosecute violators according to in Law No. (8) of 2008 regarding consumer protection.
Meanwhile, Widam Food Company took precautionary measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by activating the home delivery service which will provide consumers with their needs without having to show in the points of sale. The company also conducts periodic checks for all workers by advanced devices for remote temperature measurements, with the aim of identifying cases of suspected infection with the virus, and activating the disinfection and cleaning mechanism for equipment and machines at production sites and workers' housing, in addition to activating the hands disinfection systems sites in all the company's various facilities and sites starting with the administration building, the various production sites, and the company's slaughterhouses in all Doha and exterior areas. Moreover, Widam organizes a daily training and awareness program regarding the virus, follows up on daily reports to ensure the implementation of precautionary measures and plans, and has also temporarily reduced the number of its sales outlets and sufficed with the main branches, which will reduce contact inside the waiting halls within the framework of public safety and in line with the decisions of the relevant authorities in the state.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry urged all consumers to report any violations and that it receives complaints and suggestions through the hotline: 16001, or via e-mail: infomoci.gov.qa and its accounts on social networking sites MOCIQATAR and Instagram MOCIQATAR and the application of the ministry to smartphones MOCIQATAR.
(Source: QNA)
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