By Sanaullah Ataullah
DOHA: Gold and jewellery shops across the country are struggling to meet the deadline given by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce to upgrade their sales invoices in a bid to protect the rights of customers.
The deadline is supposed to end today, which means the customers have the right to ask the invoices in the new format from shopkeepers starting from tomorrow. The new invoices will help buyers to accurately know the quantity and value of gemstones in gold ornaments, along with other necessary information.
Many disputes occur between traders and customers over gemstones while reselling ornaments as shopkeepers would be reluctant to count it as gold. The new invoice has a special column on trademark to identify the manufactures, whether local or international, which many traders used to hide from customers because the latter preferred some specific international brands, rather than local.
The revised invoice will have many more details in Arabic and English like making charges, unit price excluding making charges, quantity of pure gold and the price of gold per gram on the date of trading. Personal details of buyers with ID or passport number will also be included in the invoice.
A toll free number-16001- of the consumer protection department is also given at the bottom of the invoice with a note asking customers to call the department if they come cross any violation of the rules by the shops.
“ A sample of the new invoice has been circulated to the shops. We are required to take a printed copy to the ministry and get it approved”, a shopkeeper at Doha gold Souq told The Peninsula yesterday.
Some shopkeepers, however, hinted that implementation of the new invoices could be delayed slightly because many shops have not yet received the required approval. The ministry issued a decision to regulate sale of gold and jewellery, other precious metals, stones and similar items in June and granted three months grace period starting from June 19.
Following the decision, the Consumer Protection and Combating Commercial Fraud at the Consumer Protection Department (CPD) met with representatives of gold shops and circulated among them a draft copy of the new invoice and explained the new regulations.The Peninsula
