Trade Ministry inspectors issue 15 tickets a day to violating outlets

AMMAN — The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply has so far issued around 245 violation tickets to shops — including supermarkets, bakeries and convenience stores — this Ramadan, according to the ministry’s spokesperson, Yanal Barmawi, on Monday. 

“The absence of price tags on items or their placements in poorly visible places were the main reasons behind most of the tickets,” Barmawi told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Before Ramadan began, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said that the government would ensure that stocks of foodstuff would be “available and sold at reasonable prices” during the holy month. 

Barmawi said the Trade Ministry saw no need to set price caps, underlining that there were “no unreasonably extreme hikes in food item prices”. 

However, “the ministry’s inspection officers are issuing as many as 15 violations a day around the Kingdom” on price tag misplacements, he added. 

In a statement made available to The Jordan Times, the Trade Ministry said their inspection staff work in three five-hour shifts. 

The first shift starts at 9AM, the second shift at 2PM and the third at 9PM, the Trade Ministry’s statement showed. 

“During Ramadan you have regular working hours during the day and increased activity around Iftar and Suhoor. This is why our officers work until the late hours of the night to cover all three periods,” Barmawi explained. 

He urged citizens to report any violations directly to the Trade Ministry’s hotlines, website or social media platforms. 

“The point is not to issue tickets; it is to ensure that all citizens of different financial backgrounds are granted access to affordable, quality food items,” he concluded.