Oversight Teams To Monitor Product Marketing Via Electronic Platforms

The Minister of Internal Trade and National Market Regulation, Ms. Amel Abdel Latif, revealed that strict measures have been taken to monitor the conformity of local and imported products to legal specifications, warning against the withdrawal of any non-compliant product or the suspension of commercial activity in case of non-compliance. The Minister also announced the establishment of electronic oversight teams to monitor e- trading platforms.

In response to a parliamentary question reviewed by “Echorouk”, dated December 10, the Minister clarified that the Ministry’s departments are working to protect consumer health, safety, and security as a top priority, including protecting their material and moral interests, through strict monitoring of all products offered in the national market, whether locally manufactured or imported, and ensuring their compliance with all applicable legislative and regulatory provisions.

Ms. Abdel Latif added that the Ministry operates within a strict, proactive oversight system, starting with activating the pre-inspection and auditing phase of products before allowing them to be marketed, so that production units are subjected to accurate and strict periodic inspections, to ensure adherence to the highest standards of health safety and raw material quality, and respect for hygiene conditions in all manufacturing stages.

She also stated that the conformity of the final product to its essential characteristics is verified, while ensuring the clarity of all labeling data in a readable and indelible manner, in order to enshrine the consumer’s right to obtain reliable, accurate, and transparent information.

The first official responsible for the internal trade sector indicated that oversight also extends to the stages of product display in the market, whether in wholesale or retail trade, to ensure compliance with storage conditions and the conformity of product or importer data, including the manufacturing date and expiry date, in addition to all basic information related to the product, in order to consolidate the principle of transparency and consumer protection.

In the event of any violation – the Minister said – such as possessing expired or unfit for consumption products or tampering with expiry dates, the Ministry takes the necessary legal and precautionary measures, including withdrawing non-compliant products, destroying them, issuing official reports for judicial follow-up against the offenders, and  compelling them to retrieve the non-compliant product from the market, with the possibility of proposing a temporary suspension of commercial activity or closing the production unit, according to the seriousness of the violation, to ensure deterrence and citizen protection.

The Minister further underlined that Law No. 09-03 related to consumer protection and fraud suppression defines the legal responsibility of all violating economic operators, with deterrent penalties ranging from imprisonment to financial fines, to ensure the commitment of all parties to legal standards and the preservation of consumer rights.

Ms. Abdel Latif also revealed the establishment of electronic oversight teams to monitor e-commerce platforms, to ensure the provision of technical and essential product information in an accurate and transparent manner, which guarantees the consumer’s right to obtain correct and clear information, with full adherence to legislative and regulatory provisions.

She  underscored in this context that the Ministry of Internal Trade and National Market Regulation is working to enhance the transparency of commercial transactions and deter all practices that affect consumer rights, considering citizen protection a fixed strategic option, in line with government directives and state commitments to create a safe and credible national market, in which the consumers are strongly protected by law and enjoy all their rights without exception.