Dubai's Department of Economic Development, or DED, has issued fines of up to Dh250,000 on various stores in the emirate for manipulating sales and promotions licences granted to them.

The DED’s Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Division, or CCCP, fined the stores after they were found to have violated the provisions for obtaining such permits and presented wrong information on the discounted prices displayed. This initiative is part of the DED’s continuous vigil to maintain the reputation of Dubai as a business and tourism destination, ensure full transparency in business transactions, and control commercial fraud and its negative impact on customers.

The DED formed a specialised “double check” team earlier this year under the supervision of the CCCP and the Business Registration and Licensing Division, or BRL, to verify data provided by companies against the price list approved by the DED. The team examined more than 16,000 products during the first half of 2012, and seized at least 800 of them that were being sold in violation to the data provided to the DED.

“The DED formed the ‘double check’ team after it was found that a number of stores have been providing inaccurate data and misguiding customers, especially tourists, claiming that they are offering up to 75 per cent discounts. The special team was aimed to shore up confidence among investors, businessmen and traders and to facilitate commercial activity in Dubai,” CCCP CEO Omar Bushahab said. He added that the move also reinforces the fact that the DED will not allow anyone to jeopardise Dubai’s reputation. The offenders have signed a pledge not to repeat the offence, and will compensate all those affected by their fraudulent practice.

“Offenders were fined under Article 14 on the rules of fines [providing incorrect data to the DED] or Article 55 [mismatch between the price list approved by the DED and the price list of the goods offered].”