‘Trade Ministry issued 8,480 fines to shops around Jordan in 2016’

AMMAN — The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply issued 8,480 fines during 2016, most of which (7,300 fines) were for violations related to the announcement of prices, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The ministry’s spokesperson, Yanal Barmawi, said the ministry took the appropriate legal measures against violators and noted that “there will be no leniency in this regard”. 

In terms of distribution in the governorates, Amman shops received the most fines (4,004), followed by Zarqa (1,226), Irbid (1,141), Balqa (515), Ajloun (337), Jerash (292), Aqaba (286), Mafraq (231), Karak (142), Madaba (129), Tafileh (95) and Maan (85).

Types of violations included 7,300 fines given to shops that did not announce their prices in accordance with regulations; 585 to shops that did not commit to the announced prices; 266 fines for not announcing sales properly; 135 fines for shops that increased the price of a basic commodity; and 116 fines for those that refused to sell a basic commodity. 

Barmawi urged the public to make use of the mobile phone applications the ministry launched last year to improve the monitoring of shops, noting that one app allow consumers to file complaints around the clock.