An-Najah News - The National Economy Ministry referred five traders to the Public Prosecution for committing economic crimes, today.

The director of the Consumer Protection Department, Hazzar Abu Baker, stated that the reference occurred after receiving complaints from civilians about stores in Ramallah and Al-Bireh who are not displaying the prices on the goods, which gives traders room to manipulate the prices.

According to the second article of the amended Consumer Protection Law No. (27) of 2018, "Anyone who refuses to display and place price lists for goods or services in visible locations or violates the pricing declared shall be imprisoned for a period of no less than six months and not more than a year and a fine of no less than one thousand Jordanian dinars and not more than ten thousand Jordanian dinars or equivalent."

This also applies to those who refrain from offering or selling catering goods, or forcing the buyer to buy a certain quantity of it or another commodity with it, or if it is required to purchase a service by providing another service or by purchasing a commodity.

It is prohibited, by virtue of the law applied during the emergency period, for all to monopolize or conceal goods and violate the prices announced by the official authorities or exploit them to achieve obscene or unlawful gains, and anyone who violates is punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine of no less than three thousand Jordanian dinars and not more than For twenty thousand Jordanian dinars or equivalent, and the judge may increase the penalty by no more than twice if the monopolistic or manipulative material at its prices is an essential good/service.

The ministry has closed during the last 24 hours two factories in Beirnebala and in Tulkarm for violating the applied laws and regulations, in addition to closing a store in Nablus city for selling eggs in 25 shekels, while the market price is 18 shekels.

The ministry has dealt with more than 120 complaints; most of them are about the increase of vegetables and fruits prices.