Categories: News

HE Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani has met at his office on Thursday morning, 15/03/2012, with  Bulgaria’s Minister of  Energy,  Economy and Tourism, Mr.  Traicho Traikov  and his accompanying delegation, currently visiting  the country.
During the meeting, they discussed a number of issues of common interest  to the two countries, especially with regard to enhancing  economic and investment relations,  increase of trade volume  as well as continuation of consultations between  the two sides in order to promote common interests and endorse the distinguished relations between the two countries.

HE Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdulaziz Al Thani conferred on Tuesday 13/03/2012 with the Latvian Economy Minister Mr. Daniels Pavluts and his accompanying delegation.
During the meeting they discussed the issues of mutual concern particularly regarding the ways of enhancing the economic and investment relations between the two countries, and expanding the scope of trade exchange, in addition to continuing joint consultations and coordination in a way that enhances the joint interests and the outstanding bilateral relations.

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, in order to ensure the consumer profit, the CP department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of February 2012. The violations have been amounted to 87 violations, including:

As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 138 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

 
 
Within the framework of the activities of the Ministry of Business and Trade made on the occasion of the Seventh Gulf Day for Consumer Protection, the Department of Consumer Protection organized a number of events which aim to increase the consumer awareness through different ways.
In this framework, the CP department set up an exhibition to distinguish between the original and counterfeit goods, as a way to clarify the differences between the original and counterfeit goods that were monitored in the local markets through the inspections made by the Department of Consumer Protection, so that consumers can learn about these differences closely.
The exhibition began on the first of March at Villagio Mall where it stayed for a period of (5) days, before moving to the Landmark Mall where it stayed for a similar period. The selection of these two places was made due to the presence of the large number of consumers, so that the exhibition can reach its desired aim through the large public gathering in these two centers.
In the same context, the Consumer Protection Department organized on Wednesday evening, (03/07/2012), in the Hall of Sheikh / Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani, God bless his soul, at the ministry building, a lecture given by Sheikh Dr. / Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Arifi, under the title of “Trader Ethics”. Dr. Al Arifi described during the lecture the morals of the good trader, and the ethics that should be present in every trader such as honesty and legitimate earning.
The lecture was attended by a large number of the ministry’s officials and employees, and a number of Businessmen, in addition to a large public gathering.

 

 
Within the framework of the efforts of the Ministry of Business and Trade represented by the Department of Business Development to develop a business environment in line with the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2011-2016, and specifically the implementation of the Program of the Business Legislations’ Development that adjusts the processes related to business and trade regulations,
And in order to maximize the benefit of such reports, the Ministry of Business and Trade represented by the Department of Business Development, and collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (the issuer of the Doing Business 2012 report) held a seminar on 7/3/2012 to discuss the Doing Business in a More Transparent World 2012 report and how to take advantage of these international indicators in addition to the means of improving the order of the State of Qatar on the international level in the coming years.
This seminar had a number of goals including:
1.     Work closely with the International Finance Corporation, which contributes to the development of the business environment in accordance with the international standards.
2.     Assure a communication between the Ministry and the business community and the private sector, and exchange views on the ways to develop and facilitate systems and procedures related to investment.
3.     Participation of the government agencies concerned with investment and business in this seminar, which contributes to closer cooperation between the ministry and those agencies on one hand, and between those authorities and the International Finance Corporation on the other hand, which will have a positive impact on the business environment.
This workshop represents an extension of the efforts of the Ministry of Business and Trade in cooperation with the international institutions to strengthen and develop a good business environment, and the efforts of the ministry to establish communication with the business community in general and the private sector in particular, where the private sector is considered as the nucleus of the economic diversification strategy which was supervised by the ministry as one of the sectorial strategies emanating from the National Development Strategy 2011-2016.
This economic diversification strategy related to the private sector development had designated four areas of concentration, which are:
1.     Strengthening the institutional role of the concerned governmental authorities and the development of the private sector in order to increase the proportion of the private sector participation in the national economy and promote competition.
2.     Developing and increasing the productivity of the various production factors in order to improve the level of competitiveness.
3.     Development of the capacity of invention and innovation in order to create a national economy based on knowledge.
4.     Deepening the economic integration on the regional and international levels in order to increase the local products’ market’s size and promote technology transfer to and from the State of Qatar.
In light of these areas of importance, the Doing Business Report 2012, released by the International Finance Corporation, possesses a high importance due to the following reasons:
•        It identifies the investment environment and thus determines the strong and weak points of the State in this field.
•        It gives suggestions and programs to work on the weaknesses and strengthen the strong points through the legislative and institutional tools and policies.
•        It reviews the experiences of the countries and identifies the best international and regional practices, and thus take advantage of them.
The discussions that took place in this workshop had highlighted the importance of developing a business environment in line with the international standards and in a way that improves the competitiveness of the State of Qatar on the international level. It showed also that the Ministry of Business and Trade plays a pivotal role in cooperation with various government agencies in assuring a competitive business environment that facilitates business establishment in the State of Qatar, encourages the national and foreign investors and supports the various initiatives of the private sector, and thus contributes to the economic diversification and the implementation of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

 

In the presence of HE / Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, the ministry’s monthly debate session was held on Tuesday, 07/03/2012, in the presence of HE / Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association, HE / Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, the Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), HE / Sheikh Hamad Bin Faisal Bin Thani Al Thani, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Gulf Bank, Mr. / Mohammad Bin Ahmad Bin Tawar Al- Kuwari, QCCI’s vice chairman, and a number of the ministry officials and Qatari businessmen. 
The debate session focused on the construction sector in the State of Qatar and the key role of the private sector in the growth of this sector, as well as the ways the government supports the development of the outputs of that sector.
HE / Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani opened the session by discussing the main points that were implemented among the results of the first debate session on warehouses, and he stressed over the importance of concerted efforts between the state institutions and the Qatari businessmen to promote business and trade sectors in the country. HE has stressed also the need to create strong companies capable of handling the development plan in the country.
He expressed full commitment and obligation to provide full support and assistance to the Qatari private sector including the Qatari businessmen who represent the real nucleus for development in the local economy, the matter which would produce positive outcomes on the technical and material outlets of the development projects.
HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani stressed the importance of working to create local construction companies and support them in all possible ways to be able to compete to the execution of projects outside the state.
For their parts, Their Excellences from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and from the Qatari Businessmen Association talked about a number of barriers that face that growth of the local construction sector, and it was exposed during the session a number of recommendations and reform procedures that both parties can implement, especially in regards to the tenders policies, loan support, and transfer of knowledge to the local market, in addition to the procedures of projects’ implementation.  
HE Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association said, “This session reflected the keenness of HE the Minister of Business and Trade to support the Qatari businessmen and companies and the sincerity among officials in supporting business and trade sectors”.
The chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association spoke about the main obstacles faced by the local construction companies in the competition for development projects in the state, and the cons of relying on foreign execution of those projects.
For his part, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) praised the efforts of the Ministry of Business and Trade, indicating that HE the Minister expressed his full cooperation and support to provide all opportunities for local construction companies and Qatari businessmen.

HE Mr. Sultan Bin Rashid Al- Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Business and Trade, met on Wednesday morning, 29/02/2012, at his office at the Ministry building with HE Mr. Esko Hamilo, the Undersecretary of State for External Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Mr. Ilkka-Pekka Simila the Ambassador of Finland to the State of Qatar (non-resident).
During the meeting, they discussed the aspects of cooperation between the two countries and the means of enhancing them especially in the domains of business and trade.

In line with the Emiri Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh / Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent, to name Tuesday in the second week of February in each year as a National Sports Day where ministries and other governmental organizations hold sport events on the occasion,
 
And based on the directives of His Excellency the Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al- Thani, and his keenness to achieve active participation in this national occasion through organizing sports events involving the employees of the Ministry of Business and Trade and their families as a way to revive the values ​​of sport and enrich the awareness of the importance of sport and its role in the lives of individuals and communities,
 
The Committee of the Sports Day in the Ministry of Business and Trade under the charity of His Excellency Mr. / Sultan Bin Rashid Al Khater, Undersecretary, and the membership of the Public Relations & Communication Unit, Financial & Administrative Affairs Department and Human Resources Department, charged of the general supervision of the ministry’s participation in this day, had prepared and organized a number of events and sports activities in collaboration with a number of agencies and sports federations in the State.

In this framework, His Excellency Mr. / Sultan Bin Rashid Al Khater, Ministry Undersecretary had signed with Mr. / Mohamed bin Ali Al-Ghanem, Chairman of the Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation, this afternoon at the Federation, the contract of the sponsorship of the Ministry of Business and Trade’s shooting competition (Skeet – Trap – Double Trap – Air Gun – Air Rifle), noting that this contest will be held under the auspices of the Ministry of Business and Trade for three consecutive years, able to be renewed, according to the contract, in collaboration with the Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation.

His Excellency the Undersecretary, accompanied by the Chairman of the Federation and a number of departmental directors and employees in the ministry, made a tour inside the club and listened through to a detailed explanation by the Chairman on the used equipment and the most important achievements made by the Qatari champions, as well as the records that had been achieved through their participation in international tournaments.

HE Al- Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Business and Trade, expressed the Ministry’s determination to benefit from this Decree in a way that supports the development plans of the State in the areas of Youth and Sports, and that highlights the Qatari talents in various sports through the activities associated with this Sports Day.

HE Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdulaziz AL-Thani met on Tuesday, 24/01/2012, with Mr. Sam Hamad, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade in the Canadian Province of  Quebec, who is in a current visit to Qatar.
During the meeting, they discussed relations between the two friendly countries and the ways of developing and enhancing them, in addition to issues of mutual interest.

HE Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade: Advancing the capacity and efficiency of the commercial ports of the country has a direct reflection on the ease of the flow of goods and the increase of the competitiveness of the private sector.
HE Mr. Ahmed Al Mohannadi: The One Stop Custom Shop has reached an advanced stage.
Chief Executive of Qatar Navigation: A common responsibility exists between the relevant agencies of the state and the private sector, and are committed to providing the necessary support to promote the initiative.
Ali Bin Abdullatif Al-Mussnid, Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Qatar: We support the efforts and results of this initiative that comes in favor of the private sector due to its positive impact and direct effect on the business process.Under the initiative of the Ministry of Business and Trade to increase the competitiveness of the business sector through supporting the Trade Supply chain, the ministry has started during the past few months, under the direct supervision of His Excellency Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al- Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, to form work teams from the various relevant agencies, to develop a plan to increase the capacity of the port of Doha and make a quantum leap in the duration of the completion of the customs procedures at the port.
His Excellency Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al- Thani, signed yesterday in his office, a number of specific obligations to achieve the initiative through Qatar Ports Management Company, the General Administration of Customs, Qatar Navigation Company, the Public Transport Department, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Qatar. This cooperation between these different sides has resulted in a number of achievements that included floor repair in the port, removal of some unused buildings as a way to increase the storage area, and the repair of the main port cranes on site.
HE Mr. / Ahmed bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Director of the General Administration of Customs, presented a report on the results of the application of the One Stop Custom Shop system, which was recently launched, noting that this system has reached an advanced stage and has made a huge jump that exceeded 100% in December 2011 compared to November 2011.
The meeting included an invitation of the members of the Commercial Ports’ Strategy Committee, which was formed through an initiative by the Ministry of Business and Trade and the Ministry of Energy and Industry. During the meeting they discussed the latest news on the commercial exploitation of the port of Mesaieed, after the receipt of the first commercial ship in the port. The Committee pointed out the capacity of the port to receive more than one hundred thousand commercial and industrial containers annually as an initial stage. His Excellency the Minister of Business and Trade gave his instructions to the committee and the relevant authorities to finalize the application of an appropriate policy and to develop the final program to activate the flow of the commercial shipping through the port of Mesaieed.
HE Sheikh / Jassim emphasized that the economic boom taking place in the country requires a real action and an effective plan that increases the capacity and the efficiency of the commercial ports of the state and avoids any future bottlenecks that may affect the natural flow of the entry and the availability of goods and trade and industrial materials in the state.

HE the Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdul Aziz AL-Thani met on Thursday morning, 19/01/2012, with the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Supachai Panitchpakdi.
Panitchpakdi who is in a current visit to Doha, came to get informed on preparations currently under way for UNCTAD’s 13th session slated for Doha from April 21 to 26, as well as to emphasize the great importance attached by the UNCTAD to the success of this conference.
Moreover, Panitchpakdi briefed HE the Minister of Business and Trade on the preparatory discussions currently under way between States in Geneva in order to reach agreement on issues to be discussed at the UNCTAD conference in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development.
For his part, HE Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdul Aziz AL-Thani referred, during the meeting, to the great efforts made by the State of Qatar, so that the UNCTAD would come out with fruitful results useful to the facilitation of trade between developing and developed countries.
He stated that the State of Qatar is placing all its potentials to facilitate dialogue during the conference in order to come out with clear recommendations and agenda to serve the future of global trade and development.
In July 2011, the State of Qatar signed the hosting agreement with UNCTAD in Geneva, Switzerland. The choice of Qatar by the developing countries group to host the conference came as a result of the high cumulative experience gained by the State of Qatar in organizing international conferences, in addition to Qatar’s powerful national economy.
The UNCTAD Secretary-General expressed his admiration for the preparations being made for the conference, which will be attended by Heads of State, Ministers concerned with trade and specialists in the investment representing more than 190 countries, in addition to representatives of regional and international organizations around the world to discuss the challenges of global trade and how to facilitate the access of goods from developing countries to global markets.
Between 6 and 8 thousand participants are expected to attend the conference which will be held at Qatar National Convention Centre.
The UNCTAD conference is held every four years, in order to discuss issues related to the challenges of development and international trade, provision of  help to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), poverty  combating and  overcoming of difficulties through the support of human capacity building and development of projects within UNCTAD’s objectives.With the accumulation of experiences and expertise, UNCTAD became influential in all aspects of international trade and sustainable development.

 
Within the framework of the efforts of the Ministry of Business and Trade for the development of a competitive business environment in line with the Qatar’s National Vision 2030, the Ministry of Business and Trade held a workshop in Doha on 12/01/2012 to review the results of the cooperation program implemented by the Ministry in cooperation with the World Bank.
The workshop was opened by HE Mr. Majid Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Mahmoud, Assistant Undersecretary for Business, under the title of “Development of the Business Environment, Encouragement of the Initiative and Development of the Competitiveness in the State of Qatar”.
The workshop aimed to review the importance of this program to the State of Qatar in general, and to the Ministry of Business and Trade in particular, in terms of the development of the legislative and institutional environment for business, which constitutes the most important component for any investment activity, whether it was commercial, industrial, agricultural, or service, thing that will lead to encourage both local and foreign investments.
It was agreed between the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Business Development Department at the beginning of the year 2010, and the World Bank, to implement a joint program under the name of “Development of the Business Environment, Encouragement of the Initiative and Development of the Competitiveness in the State of Qatar”.
This program consists of three main activities that are:
1 – Evaluation of the commercial performance of the State of Qatar and its level of competitiveness.
2 – Development of the means of maximizing the Value Added in the Qatari economy.
3 – Evaluation of the importance of the services’ trade in the Qatari economy.

The joint study between the World Bank and the Ministry of Business and Trade highlighted the importance of implementing a number of programs covering the following fields:
1. Encouraging the Qataris to participate in the economic activity and business practices through facilitating the business practice procedures.
2. Improving the international competitiveness and the capabilities of the various economic sectors, through the development of legislation and institutions, according to the international best practices.
3. Developing specific programs that aim to attract foreign capitals to the State of Qatar, and assisting in the transfer of technology.
4. Emphasizing on the importance of development through the development of the human capacities and the assurance of advanced educational and training programs that aim to identify local qualified talents.
5. Giving greater attention to the Small and Medium Enterprises sector in general, with a focus on the development of activities, level of innovation and invention, as well as the development of high-technology.
6. Developing the export capacity of the State of Qatar through the development of new products and diversifying the exports of the country.

HE Mr. Majid Al-Mahmoud stated that the Ministry of Business and Trade is looking forward to serious efforts from the various government agencies and institutions, as well as the business community to activate the initiatives proposed during the workshop.
It can be said that this workshop represented a valuable opportunity to cooperate with the business community to amend the recommendations and reach applicable and realistic initiatives.

 A meeting chaired by HE the Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani was hold on Wednesday morning, 11/01/2012, with the Services and Prices Monitoring Committee that was formed according to the Emiri Decision No. (72) of 2011. During the meeting, they discussed the committee’s work system and its terms of reference in designing an overall and operational strategy to reduce the unjustified increase of prices of goods and services in the country.
 
The meeting touched on a number of programs and plans directly related to fighting against the increase of prices of goods and services, and it was agreed to begin the development of electronic systems to monitor prices of goods and services, price index and early warning of stock for consumer strategic commodities.
 
It was also agreed in principle to a proposal that aimed to establish a Consumer Protection Association in accordance with Article (4) of Law No. (8) of 2008 on consumer protection and to take necessary actions to follow up and complete the foundation of this association with the relevant authorities
 
HE the Minister of Business and Tradehas underscored the importance of ensuring that the desired vision of the role of the services and prices monitoring committee in the fight against the unjustified increase of prices as well as the protection of individual’s consumption capacity, especially those with limited income, is attained. Furthermore, HEstressed on the need to activate the appropriate legal procedures, which cannot be violated in all practices, to avoid price distortions that can lead to non-development increase in the general inflation rate. He also called on members of the committee and the relevant authorities to make concerted efforts in the implementation of monitoring and regulatory procedures to reduce monopolistic practices or arbitrary that may limit price competitiveness in Qatari markets.
 
It must be mentioned that the Services and Prices Monitoring Committee was formed by the Emiri Decision No. (72) of 2011, under the direct supervision of Heir Apparent, and includes a number of relevant authorities:
Ø Minister of Business and Trade – Chairman
Ø Representative of the Ministry of Business and Trade – Vice Chairman
Ø Representative of the Ministry of Interior – Member
Ø Representative of the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning – Member
Ø Representative of the General Secretariat of Council of Ministers – Member
Ø Representative of the Supreme Council of Health – Member
Ø Chairman of the Committee of Maximum Prices and Profit Rates Fixation in the MBT- Member
Ø Chairman of the Competition Protection and Anti- Monopoly Committee in the MBT- Member
Ø Director of the Consumer Protection Department in the Ministry of Business & Trade – Member
 
Role of the Services and Prices Monitoring Committee:
1 – Setting the overall strategy to reduce the increaseof goods and servicesprices in the State through the Ministry of Business and Trade, and working on their implementation in coordination with the concerned authorities in the country.
2 – Adoption of plans, programs and projects related to the increase of goods and services prices, made ​​by the relevant authorities.
3 – Proposing the means and measures to reduce the prices of goods and services.
4 – Proposing the appropriate solutions to prevent any increase in the goods and services prices.
5 – Proposing legislations on the control of prices of goods and services.
6 – Any other functions assigned to the Committee by Heir Apparent.

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, in order to ensure the consumer profit, the CP department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of December 2011. The violations have been amounted to 107 violations, including:

As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 144 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

The State of Qatar had participated in the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization held in Switzerland. The Qatari delegation was headed by H.E Mr. / Sultan Bin Rashid Al- Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Business and Trade, in the presence of H.E Sheikha / Alyaa Bint Ahmed Bin Seif Al- Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva, and H.E Mr. / Mohammed Hassan Al- Saadi, Assistant Undersecretary for Trade Affairs, in addition to the members of the Qatari National Committee representing many of the State’s agencies like: Ministry of Business and Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Council of Ministers, Ministry of Environment, Qatar National Bank, General Administration of Customs, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology. At the opening session, HE Mr. / Sultan Bin Rashid Al-Khater – MBT Undersecretary, addressed the State’s statement in the presence of delegations from 153 countries, in which he stated:
 
WTO Eight Ministerial Conference
15-17 December 2011
Opening Session
State of Qatar
Statement by H.E Mr. Sultan Al-Khater
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Business and Trade
 
Mr. President,
1.  I would like to begin by congratulating you Mr. President on your election to the Chair of this 8th Ministerial Conference. I must also thank the people & Government of Geneva for agreeing to host this Conference. Our appreciation is also due to the Director General of the WTO Mr. Pascal Lamy , the chairman of the General Council Mr. Yonav Agah as well as to the WTO Secretariat for their hard work and for their adherence to the important principle of Full participation, Inclusiveness, and Transparency.
2. This Conference in Geneva is being held at a very critical juncture. My delegation hope it will come up with a clear road map on how to conclude successfully the Doha Development Agenda. The presence of all of us at this Conference is a clear testimony for the need to renew our commitment to DDA & the functioning of the multilateral trading system.

 

Mr. President, Ladies & gentlemen
3. In the context of the current global economic crisis, the State of Qatar continues to opt for openness, modernization and democratization process. This approach to economic policy is a vital driving force behind Qatar’s impressive performance despite gloomy global conditions. The objective is clear: to move beyond the comparative advantage of its natural resources endowment and diversify the economy.
4. As part of its commitment to promote global development, the State of Qatar will host the 13th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in April 2012. The Conference, which will attract some 6,000 Government officials, civil society representatives, staff members, and representatives of other international agencies, will be a valuable opportunity to contribute to the search by developing countries for a new and dynamic direction in their sustainable development options
5. As developments of this year unfolded in the Middle East in the context of (Arab Spring) one thing has become clear: This transformation will result ultimately in more trade openness and integration, both regionally and internationally. The State of Qatar therefore joins those who insist that the League of Arab States be granted  permanent observer status to the WTO. Equally, we strongly support the efforts made so far by Palestine to obtain an observer status in the WTO.
6. This leads me to the issue of accession of new countries to the WTO and their integration in the global economy. In this respect, Qatar believes that this Conference should result in clear decision to facilitate and accelerate the accession processes of developing countries and least developed countries. In this regard, we strongly support speedy accession of all Arab countries which are in the different stages of their accession process to the WTO.
 
 Mr. President, Ladies & gentlemen
7. The launch of the DDA in Qatar more than ten years ago was a momentous event, which greeted by WTO members as a once in a generation opportunity to use new trade liberalization & systemic reform to lift millions of people out of poverty.
8. Unfortunately , the potential gain to global economy welfare from the conclusion of the round , the magnitude of which has been repeatedly demonstrated through many studies , are in danger of being lost .Let us not forget that the DDA was initiated in Doha in order to focus on development issues . Although the foreseen outcome is intended to benefit all WTO members, the overwhelming consensus was that they are targeted at particular the development concerns of the developing countries and the least developed countries.
9. The state of Qatar commends the tireless effort of WTO members during the last six months to deliver an early harvest for the least developed countries (LDCs) by wrapping up less controversial DDA issues. We very much understand the reasons for the failure of these efforts. However, the adoption of mini- package in favor of the LDCs, at this meeting would have been a positive step forward that would have allowed for conclusion of the round in the near future .
10.  Qatar believes that this is still achievable if we can all make our shared goal. I firmly believe that, to generate trust in the ability of the WTO to deliver, we must seize this opportunity here in Geneva to take at least smaller steps and agree on certain less controversial issues on the basis of paragraph 47 of the Doha mandate. We would wish to see here in Geneva immediate decisions on the issues related to the developing countries and least developed countries in line with development mandate of the Doha Round.
11. In this regard, trade liberalization of environmental goods ought to provide opportunity for developing countries to increase exports of such goods under paragraph 31 (iii) of the DDA. Therefore it is primary concern for Qatar to include natural gas and its by-product to the WTO list of environmental goods in view of elimination or as appropriate reduction of tariff and non-tariffs barriers on these goods.
12. Being one of countries that heavily depend on imports and exports, Qatar attaches special importance to the issue of the trade facilitation in the WTO. Therefore, we strongly support the current negotiations in the WTO under the DDA to enhance the freedom of transit including goods moved via fixed infrastructure like pipelines.
13. Furthermore, Qatar is of the opinion that this Conference should result in an immediate decisions on all outstanding development issues including Duty-free Quota-free for LDCs, Special and Differential Treatment, services waivers and reduction of domestic support for cotton in developed countries.
14. Important as the 21st century issues to the multilateral trading system, we have to be very careful of launching other negotiations, before addressing the above mentioned issues.
15. The State of Qatar welcomes the recent WTO collaboration with the World Bank regarding trade finance for low income countries. In this regard,we welcome the technical changes to the regulatory regime of trade finance announced by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. In our view, this is a useful step that will help promote both South-North trade and South-South trade.
15. We welcome also with enthusiasm the accession of Russian Federation, Montenegro, Vanuatu and Samoa to the WTO and congratulate them as well as the WTO family.
16. To conclude, Qatar urges again the rest of the WTO Membership to overcome the current impasse in the DDA negotiations in order to accelerate the global economic recovery and guard against any protectionist measures.
 
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As a part of the keenness of the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Consumer Protection Department, and its permanent efforts represented by the continuous markets’ supervision and inspection in order to ensure their compliance with the different laws and decisions related to the consumer protection, and to ensure the conformity of the goods and products to the standard specifications, especially those related to health and safety requirements; the CPD had monitored samples of various hair and body oils, and found, after their examination in coordination with the competent authorities, that these products are counterfeit and do not conform to the standard specifications.

In this regard, the Department of Consumer Protection invites the consumers to beware of the use of these products and goods in order to preserve their health and safety.
 
 

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, in order to ensure the consumer profit, the CP department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of November 2011. The violations have been amounted to 33 violations, including:

As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 93 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.
 
 

HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdulaziz Al Thani has conferred on Wednesday morning, 07/12/2011, with HE Mr. Maxime Verhagen, the Netherlands Deputy Premier and Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, who is currently visiting the country.
During the meeting, They discussed bilateral relations and reviewed a set of other issues of mutual concern.
Moreover, HE Minister of Business and Trade conferred here on Thursday afternoon, 08/12/2011, with  Dr. Philipp Roslerm, German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Technology.
They discussed bilateral relations and reviewed a set of other issues of mutual concern especially in the sector of business and trade. The two sides highlighted the importance of the strong relationships joining Qatar and Germany.

HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz AL-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, conferred in his office on Wednesday morning, 30/11/2011, with HE Mr. Ziya Mammadov, theAzerbaijani Transport Ministerwho is in a current visit to the State.
 
During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, and the ways of bolstering them,in addition to many topics of common interest.

HE Mr. / Sultan Bin Rashid Al-Khater, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Business and Trade, attended the Business Forum that was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Thursday, November 24, 2011, at the Ritz – Carlton Hotel – Doha. The forum constituted a wide opportunity for the two parties to expose the business projects of both countries,and discuss the ways of possible cooperation between them, in addition to displaying the areas of common interest.
 
During his speech in the forum’s opening session, HE the undersecretary welcomed the Korean Ambassador, the Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the delegates and the attendants from both countries, and described the experience of the State of Qatar in overcoming the major challenges that faced its economy, and the successful policy regime that protected, expanded and diversified its economic base.

HE affirmed that the Ministry of Business and Trade, in conformity with the fast pace of development overwhelming the country, managed to improve its services in such way that, business community members can find an encouraging Business environment, characterized by flexible and easy procedures. Through such mechanisms, business people can easily obtain licenses and enjoy all other facilities such as, Investment expansion Advice, and other expert commercial support services such as training or legal and commercial advice that may enhance a fast establishment of companies.

Al- Khater pointed out that all these achievements were only possible due to cooperation and coordination between the Qatari Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as, the Qatari Business Community with the Ministry of Business and Trade, clarifying that the outcome of such endeavors is to maintain the flourishing fruitful economic, commercial and investment relations with all friendly countries, especially the Republic of Korea.

His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, issued the decree No. 50 of 2011, by which Mr. Sultan Rashid Al-Khater was assigned as Undersecretary in the Ministry of Business and Trade.

Mr. Sultan Rashid Al-Khater held many leadership positions in the sectors of energy and industry, the last one of them was the General Manager and Board Member in Qatar Fuel Additives Company, Ltd.
 
Al-Khater has held many other positions before, including the Maintenance Director for Liquefied Natural Gas facilities, and Director of Strategic Planning in RasGas, and has considerable fifteen years of experience in the gas industry.

Engineer Al-Khater holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering with honors from the University of Qatar in 1996, and is considered a promising young talent.

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, in order to ensure the consumer profit, the CP department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of October 2011. The violations have been amounted to 77 violations, including:

As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 118 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, conferred in his office on Monday morning, 21/11/2011, with Prince Andrew,Duke of York, who is in a current visit to the State.
 
During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom, and the ways of bolstering them,in addition to many topics of common interest.

The Ministry of Business and trade hosted on Monday 21/11/2011 at the Ritz – Carlton hotel, an economic delegation from the Arab Republic of Egypt, in the presence of Mr. / Mohamed Hassan Al-Saadi, Assistant Undersecretary for Trade, Mr. / Majed Abdul Rahman Al-Mahmoud, Assistant Undersecretary for Business, and Dr. / Muharram Sibai Hilal, Vice President of the Federation of Egyptian Investors and head of the delegation, along with representatives from Qatari companies and Egyptian businessmen.

Mr. Mohammad Hassan Al-Saadi expressed in his opening statement that the State of Qatar attaches great importance, in terms of the political leadership, to the proliferation of the Qatari investments in various investment projects in Egypt. He described the Qatari keenness to contribute in the growth and the sustainable development of Egypt, stressing the importance of such projects and their role in changing the level of the citizens’ public life and opening more employment opportunities for young people.

From his side, Dr. Hilal addressed a welcome speech in which he stressed that the visit of the Egyptian delegation to Doha is just the beginning of a successful cooperative relation between the investors in both countries.

At the end of the seminar, the two parties exchanged souvenirs while a luncheon was held in honor of the visiting delegation.

Following the Prime Minister’s Decision No. (10) for the year 2011, Mr. / Majed Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al-Mahmoud was assigned as an Assistant Undersecretary for Business in the Ministry of Business and Trade.
Mr. Majed Al- Mahmoud holds an Executive Master in Business Administration from London Business School, and has received a degree in Information Systems Management from George Mason University – United States, in addition to the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certificate from the Project Management Institute PMI.
From 2010 to 2011, Mr. Al- Mahmoudi worked as a Director of Business Development and Sales Planning at GBI company.
In 2008, he joined Meeza Company during its pre-establishment period, where he performed a number tasks in the field of operations governance and labor regulations, and he was upgraded into a Director of Business Solutions Department, in addition to leadingthe company strategic plan’s assessment and support project.
He participated in several national and strategic projects during his work at the Supreme Council for Communications and Information Technology from 2005 to 2008,.
Moreover, he participated in several projects of Information Systems in Hamad Medical Corporation HMC, where he was upgraded from a trainee to Director of Internet and Intranet in the period between 2003 and 2005.
In 2000, he worked six months at the Financial Department in Dana-Farber Medical Institute.
Mr. Majed Al-Mahmoud spent nearly 9 years working in both government and private sectors, where he received several promotions and recommendations during his tenure.

As a part of the Ministry of Business and Trade’s keenness to support the government policies aiming to achieve a sustainable economic development, as reflected by Qatar Vision 2030 and by the National Development Strategy 2011-2016, and under the patronage of HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul-Aziz AL-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, the Department of Business Development held on Tuesday, 15/11/2011, a seminar on the Development of the Country’s Exports.
During the symposium, the Business Development Department offered to the business community, government and non-governmental organizations, a detailed explanation on the Exports’ Development Strategy, as a way to identify their various points of view, and draft the National Strategy for Export Development in a practical way that can be easily implemented.
Mr. / Nasser Jarallah Al-Marri, Director of Business Development Department, spoke at the opening of the symposium, on the importance of developing the capacities of the national exports, as a tool to achieve economic diversification.
From his side, Dr. / Issa Juma, economist at the General Secretariat for Planning Development, gave a detailed presentation on the National Development Strategy 2011 – 2016, explaining its relationship with the exports development.
Dr. / Mahmoud Abdul Latif, expert in planning and follow-up at the Department of Business Development in the Ministry of Business and Trade, exposed the general framework of the proposed program for the development of the capacity of the national exports.
In his turn, Mr. / Aladdin Al-Zed, representative of the Export Development Agency, spoke about how to benefit from the activities of the Export Development Agency in achieving the objectives of the Exports Development Program.
At the end of the seminar, questions and inquiries by the business owners, professionals and media reporters were addressed to the lecturers who provided clear explanations and clarifications that serve the theme of the seminar.

Within the framework of the ministry’s effort to develop the trade and economic relations with the various world countries, a trade delegation from the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce, including representatives of some companies and Australian Universities, in addition to the Australian Trade Representative in Doha, paid a visit to the Ministry of Business and Trade, on Wednesday morning, 26/10/2011, where they were received by Mr. / Nasser Jarallah Al Marri, Director of Business Development Department, along with a number of the Department’s staff.
During the visit, they reviewed the aspects of cooperation between the two sides, and the ways of increasing the Australian investments in the State of Qatar, in light of a presentation of the Qatari Business Environment made by the Business Development Department. The Department prepared as well a program to visit the Australian delegation, in coordination with a number of governmental agents and companies from the private sector, in order to activate the aspects of cooperation in a way that assures the benefits of both parties.
On the same day, the Business Development Department welcomed the Spanish Businessmen Delegation, which included representatives of 20 Spanish companies dealing with different business areas, in addition to the Spanish Commercial Attaché in Doha. The Business Development Department presented an explanation on the determinants of the business environment in the State, and the benefits provided to the foreign investor in Qatar, which include many of the financial, customs and tax benefits. Moreover, the Department answered all the questions and queries addressed by the attendants, and it was agreed on the importance of maintaining good communication between the two sides, as a way to promote the opportunities to establish joint future business projects.

 
HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, conferred in his office, on Monday 24/10/2011, with the Minister of Commerce in the Kingdom of Morocco, His Excellency Mr. / Abdul Latif Mazuz,, and the accompanying delegation.
 
During the meeting, they discussed the aspects of cooperation between the two countries,in addition to many topics of common interest.

On the other hand, HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, met in his office, yesterday afternoon with His Excellency Mr. / Yasser Al Zankane, Moroccan Minister of Tourism and Handicraft.

During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries and the ways of bolstering and enhancing these relations.

HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, conferred in his office this morning, Tuesday 25/10/2011, with Dr. / EvaBjörling,Swedish Minister of Commerce who is in a current visit to the State.
 
During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries, and the ways of bolstering them,in addition to many topics of common interest.

 

 
Within the framework of the keenness of the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Consumer Protection Department, to keep in touch with the consumers, as a way to spread awareness and education among them, knowing the importance of spreading consciousness among both the merchants and the consumers, leading them to know their rights and duties, the CPD came up with the idea of ​​organizing an advertising campaign targeting the traders and the consumers, and aiming to:

1 – Define and increase the awareness of the consumers and suppliers of their rights and duties
2 – Promote the culture of the balanced purchase among consumers
3 – Highlight the fundamental obligations of the merchant, which come in their turn, under the consumer rights
4 – Highlight the main roles and specializations of the Consumer Protection Department
 
This advertising campaignhad been carefullydesigned to contain 24 messages and advices that will be presented to the public in several places, including street ads – buses and taxis ads – newspaper ads – billboards in commercial malls and complexes, and will be also accessible through the radio and television programs.
 
The CPD will launch the character of (Morshed – Advisor) who will be providing, in a friendly style, tips and advices for consumers of all categories (adults and children), in addition to launching ( Morshed Magazine), a quarterly magazine published by the Department of Consumer Protection, noting that the first issue will be issued today, Monday, 24/10/2011, and distributed through one of the local newspapers.
 
This Advertising Campaign will be divided into several stages :
 
1- Teaser Campaign
 
2- Consumer Rights Campaign: it aims to teach the consumers their rights, especially with regard to health and safety, and the tips to get good products that comply with the standards and specifications, as well as their right to obtain the invoice and warranty, without forgetting the right of replacement and retrieval.
 
3 – Merchant Duties Campaign: it aims to teach the merchant his duties towards the consumer, such as giving the consumer a full – data bill, providing the necessary guarantees, warn the consumer of the danger that may be caused by the use of the commodity, tell him about the defects that the good may contain, announce the price of the product or the service, in addition to many other duties.
 
4 – Consumer Duties Campaign: it aims to teach the consumer his duties in the balanced purchase, and lead him to stop wasting and following the misleading advertising and the temptations of installments, in addition to the necessity of reading and understanding the contracts, and the description of every item or service, without forgetting to keep the invoice and the warranty to protect their rights.
 
5 – Campaign of the Month of Ramadan: it aims to teach the consumers the methods of a balanced purchase system, and the ways of avoiding the waste and buying only what is needed.
 

A high ranked Irish Trade Delegation, including Heads of 40 major companies, paid a visit to the Ministry of Business and Trade, where they were welcomed by a number of senior officials and departments’ managers. The delegation was impressed by the level of accomplishments made by the State of Qatar, which include programs and major projects within the programs of sustainable development in Qatar.
During the visit, they reviewed the Trade Policies of the State of Qatar, where Ms. / Noor Ahmed Al Ansari, researcher in the Department of International Cooperation and Trade Agreements, made a presentation on the programs and plans of the Trade Expansion in Qatar, based on the 2030 Qatar Vision. In her turn, Ms. / Nadia Haroon, provided a visual explanation on the opportunities and areas of investment in the State of Qatar, in addition to Mr. / Rima Sankoor who made a presentation on the Small and Medium Enterprises.
The delegation expressed its satisfaction with the detailed and accurate information they got regarding the Trade and Investment Performance in Qatar, in addition to the available opportunities aiming to enhance the Trade and Investment Relations between the State of Qatar and Ireland.
At the end of the visit, a reception was prepared by the high ranked officials at the Ministry of Business and Trade in honor of the visiting delegation, during which they reviewed the Irish – Qatari Trade Relations, and the ways of bolstering the volume of bilateral trade and investments between the two countries, especially that Qatar has become the focus of attention of the investors worldwide.
The guests left the Ministry building expressing their appreciation for the ministry’s efforts to provide the detailed and accurate information, in addition to the atmosphere of discussions surrounded by friendliness and respect, in a way that encourages the accomplishment of the visit’s aims in the best way.

The Department of Public Transport Affairs in the Ministry of Business and Trade has taken part in the three-day Qatar International Transport and Logistic Service Exhibition ”Trans-4”, opened today by HE / Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning, at the Doha Exhibition Centre.
After the inauguration, HE Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin Khalifa Al Thani toured the pavilions of the exhibition and was briefed on the prominent projects carried out by the displaying companies. HE visited the Department of Public Transport Affairs where he listened to an explanation given by Mr. / Nasser Kaddar , Director of the Department, regarding the Department’s sections and specializations.
More than 50 world, Gulf and Qatari companies working in transport, railways and cargo sector are taking part in the five thousand square meter event, along with numerous governmental parties in Qatar,in addition to a broad participation by the local companies implementing a number of major projectsin the State in this sector.
The Trans-4 Exhibition acquires key importanceas it displays several projects and opens many investment opportunities, and allows to examine the future strategic plans in the State of Qatar in the fields ofland, sea and air transport networks.
The exhibition is the first and sole of its kind in Qatar which displays the state of the art technologies , information technology, systems , products and services associated with the sea, land and air transport and logistic cargo or freight services. 

 
The Committee of the Transport and Communications Ministers in the Gulf Cooperation Council held its fifteenth meeting on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
 
The meeting was attended by representatives of all the Member States, and was chaired by HE Sheikh / Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan / Minister of Public Works and Chairman of the National Transport Authority in the United Arab Emirates, and head of the UAE delegation. The State of Qatar was represented by HE Ambassador / Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al-Othman, Ambassador of the State of Qatar in the United Arab Emirates.
 
The meeting was also attended by:
1 – Mr. / Nasser Massaad Said Kdar – Acting Director of the Department of Public Transport
2 – Mr. / Hamad Salem Al Khalifa – Specialist in the Transportation domain
3 – Mr. / Mohammed Faleh Al-Hajri – Chairman of the International Conventions and Relations – Civil Aviation Authority

His Excellency the GCC General Secretary Mr./ Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani was also among the attendants.

After a thorough discussion of the agenda in light of the minutes of meeting of the teams and technical committees, and the notes put by the General Secretariat on the issues to be discussed in the meeting, and the minutes of the Sixteenth Meeting (Preparatory) of the Committee of Deputy Ministers of Transport and Communications of the GCC States, held in Abu Dhabi on 3 and 4 October 2011, it was agreed on several important issues, among them :

First : Railway Project between the GCC countries
 

Second : A study on the Economic Benefits of linking the GCC railway to the Republic of Yemen

Third : Establishment of a Transportation Data Base in the GCC States
 
Fourth: The minutes of the 20th meeting of the Committee of GCC Port Authorities and Maritime Administrations’ Officials (June 26 – 27, 2011)
 
Fifth: Minutes of the seventh meeting of the Technical Committee for Land Transport and Road Engineering in the GCC States (September 25, 2011)
 

 
In a first step for the Consumer Protection Department, and in cooperation with Qatar Radio, an awareness program targeting the Consumer Sector and aiming to define the different branches of the Consumer Rights, will be launched as a part of the CPD’s keenness to keep in touch with the consumer through the different media avenues, in order to spread culture and consumption awareness which constitute a necessity that every consumer must recognize amid the open markets and the varying prices affected by the law of Supply and Demand.
In this sense, the Consumer Protection Department launched a Radio Program directed to explain all the laws related to the Consumer Protection that protect him from exploitation, and maintain his rights every time he goes shopping. The program will deal also with the different aspects of the Consumption Process, like how to identify fake or counterfeit goods? What is the legal status of such cases? How to promote the culture of saving and consumption rationalization in a non-consumption oriented society? All of these issues, in addition to many others, will be dealt with in the presence of a number of experts and specialists from the Department or even from outside the State. Moreover, the program will shed lights on the different events and activities organized by the Consumer Protection Department.
The program will be “Weekly Broadcast” every Thursday at 3:30 pm and will provide a competition to the public based on the subject of each episode. A financial prize will be offered to the winner of “ Know Your Right As a Consumer” program that will be presented by Ms. / Buthaina Abdul Jalil, in cooperation with the section of Consumer Awareness in the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Business and Trade.
 
Note :
The guest of the first episode will be HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Director of the Consumer Protection Department.

 

 
Under the patronage of HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, the Third Corporate Social Responsibility Conference, which comes this year under the slogan “Be Part of the Event” and organized by the Department of International Cooperation & Trade Agreements in the Ministry, was launched this morning, Monday 03/10/2011, at Al-Majles Hall in the Doha Sheraton Hotel, where it will continue its work for two consecutive days.
HE Sheikh / Khalifa Bin Jassim Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry addressed a speech during the opening session in which he thanked the Ministry of Business and Trade for organizing this important conference, saying that the concept of Social Responsibility has always been combined with the Chambers of Commerce, as it is based mainly on the principle of the participation of the Private Sector in the development process, as a part of its duties and commitments toward the community.
He added that the Chamber of Commerce is keen to significantly maximize the benefits of the development as they constitute one of the chief goals of the Chamber’s strategy. HE the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce pointed out at the end of his speech, the important progress made by Qatar as a result of its permanent commitment and respect to the social responsibility, in addition to its compliance with the Ten Principles of the Global Compact, including human rights, equality in employment, development and environment protection. 
From his side, HE Sheikh / Nawaf Bin Nasser Al-Thani, member of the Qatari Businessmen Association, stated in a similar speech that this CSR conference had known a wide support and promotion during the last period, explaining that the concept of Social Responsibility not only has benefits on the social development, but it helps the companies as well to enhance their role and competitiveness. 
He said at the end of his speech that the Qatari Businessmen Association aims to raise awareness of the role of the private sector and unify the efforts of the Qatari Businessmen in a way that serves the goals of the economic and social development.
Mr. Ahmed Ahn, Director of International Cooperation & Trade Agreements Department, addressed in his turn the speech on behalf of the Ministry of Business and Trade, saying that arranging this conference for the third consecutive year reaffirms the Ministry’s commitment to put the principles of the business ethics as a priority, noting that the ministry is currently working forward to adopt Qatari Standards for Corporate Social Responsibility.
He added that the objective of holding these conferences, starting from 2009, is relating the development to the social and environmental goals and purifying the business environment of all the impurities that may disrupt the economic growth of the society, pointing out that these purposes have gained the acceptance of all companies that became, all around the world, responsible to respect the social and environmental performance during their work.
The Director of the International Cooperation & Trade Agreements clarified that the State of Qatar has included a development strategy within the 2030 Qatar Vision that aims, with regards to the Social Responsibility, to manage the environment in a way that ensures harmony and consistency between the goals of the social and economic development, in addition to the environmental protection, taking into consideration that the achievement of these objectives requires the commitment of the business society to the standards that ensure the harmonization between its performance and activities, and this vision, and that is what is called “ Standards of Social Responsibility”.
Adding to that, he noted that the Ministry of Business and Trade, through a large group including a number of Ministries and Governmental Agencies, had taken steps towards the proposal of the Social Responsibility Standards for the Qatari companies, and that these proposed standards are in the process of adoption, and they will be used to distinguish between the companies with excellent social and environmental performance and those that fail to respect the social goals, affirming that the Ministry is considering granting prestigious awards to the companies showing good performance in relation to these standards and criteria.
At the end of his speech, Mr. Ahn asserted that the organization of this conference comes as a genuine partnership between the Ministry of Business and Trade and the Business Community, which constitutes a practical implementation of the State’s vision and philosophy, declaring that the Ministry had received requests from National and Foreign companies operating in the State, to sponsor and participate in these conference, in order to exchange their experiences with other companies. The Ministry of Business and Trade values the roles of these companies and invites all the different companies in the State to adopt and put these principles of the Social Responsibility as their priority.
After that, the welcome speeches continued and included speeches by the United Nations Global Compact Agency, and Chairman of the International Coalition for Information and Communication and Development Technology at the United Nations, in addition to speeches addressed by the Sponsors in which they praised the role of the Ministry of Business and Trade in holding this conference and establishing the principle of Corporate Social Responsibility.
During the conference, twelve work papers discussing the roles of the Governments and the Private Sector in the Corporate Social Responsibility will be presented, and local and international experiences in Social Responsibility will be discussed, in addition to the future of the environment in the State of Qatar. The conference will also include a workshop for registration in the Global Compact Agency.
The conference was attended by a number of Senior Officials from the Ministry of Business and Trade and other ministries, in addition to several board chairmen, CEOs, Managers and experts in the Social Responsibility domain.

 
HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, conferred yesterday, Wednesday 28/09/2011 with HE / Mohamed Sarfraz Ahmed Khanzada, Pakistani Ambassador to Qatar.
During the meeting, they discussed the aspects of cooperation between the two countries and the means of enhancing them especially in the domains of business and trade.
 

 
A joint press release between the Ministry of Business and Trade and the CRS Conference Sponsors will be held today, Thursday 29/09/2011 at the Ministry’s building.
The CSR Conference will take place on Monday and Tuesday, October 3 and 4, 2011, in the presence of a number of economic figures and businessmen, with the participation of the United Nations Global Compact Agency ( UNGC ) and the International Finance Corp, a subsidiary of the World Bank.
The sponsoring companies which were announced earlier include RasGas, ExxonMobil, United Development Company ( UDC ), Dolphin Energy, Al-Khaliji Bank, in addition to Total, Qatar Cool, Al- Fardan Group, and Qatar Media Services ( Q. Media ), the Conference’s Advertising Sponsor.
The Organizers had asserted that a large number of Businessmen, Managers and University Professors have confirmed their participation in this important large conference.
 

 
HE Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, met, seperately, at his office this morning, Monday 26 September 2011, with both HE Mr. / Chang See-Jeong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, and HE Ms. / Anne Ruth Herkes, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State.
During the meetings, they discussed the current cooperative relationships between the State of Qatar and their friendly countries, and the different ways of enhancing these relations, especially in the domains of Business and Trade.
 

 
HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, met, individually, at his office on Thursday morning, 22/09/2011, with both HE Mr. / Ahmed Jazari Bin Mohammed Jawhar, ambassador of Malaysia to the State, and HE Mr. / Jumaa Rashid Saif Al-Zahiti, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the State.
 
During the two meetings, they made an overall overview regarding the existing cooperative relationships between the State of Qatar and both of Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the ways of bolstering these relations, especially in the fields of Business and Trade.

Moreover, HE Sheikh / Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, also met on Thursday with Lord / Stephen Green, British Minister of Trade and Investment, who is in a current visit to the State.

During the meeting they discussed the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and the ways of enhancing and developing them.

 
A seminar on “ The Partnership Between the Administrative Development Institute and the Government Agencies ” started today morning, Sunday 25/9/2011, at the Ministry of Business and Trade by a number of officials from the Institute of Administrative Development.

The seminar organized by the Department of Human Resources in cooperation with the Public Relations and Communication Unit was attended by the managers of Units and Departments in the Ministry, in addition to the Heads of Departments and the Training Coordinators in the ministry.

This seminar provided consultation and exchange of views between the Institute and various Government Ministries on how to activate the Human Resources through various training programs provided by the Institute. It also aims to define the training activity and its impact on the institutional performance and helps spreading the awareness between the participants on the training programs.

The seminar dealt with four main fields, including :

– The importance of training
– The importance of training in the Human Resources Law
– Sections of the Training’s general plan
– Coordination and cooperation for building the Training’s general plan
– A shared vision on the development of the training course
 
The seminar included presentations and discussions by all the participants who focused on the training programs provided by the Institute and the possibility of proposing new programs in light with the needs of the ministry.

 
The Department of Consumer Protection in the Ministry of Business and Trade, through its continuous inspective campaigns that cover all the commercial outlets in the market, aiming to ensure the traders compliance with the laws and decisions related to the Consumer Protection, detected counterfeit Spare Parts holding well-known Brands.
It was detected that some companies selling Automobiles Spare Parts had introduced some Counterfeit Spare Parts used for Trucks, branded “ Eirling ” and “ Sachs ”, selling them as original ones, which constitutes a violationof the Article No. (7) of the Law No. (8) for the year 2008 on Consumer Protection, which stipulates : The supplier is committed during introducing any commodity to clearly indicate on its cover or packaging, the type, nature and the components of the item, and all the data related to it, as determined by the executive regulations of this law, and to state whether any danger may be caused by the use of the commodity. It is strictly prohibited to include any fake or misleading information.
The inspectors of the Consumer Protection Department detected the cited commodity, took the available quantities in the center, issued a sanction and started a criminal case in the issue.  
The Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, stresses all suppliers, traders and business owners practicing commercial activities in the State, that it will apply the strict sanctions and violations set by the laws and decisions related to the Consumer Protection to protect the competition and prevent any form of commercial fraud and monopolistic actions.
It also invites the consumers to effectively cooperate with it and report their complaints through one of the following contact points :
1 – Hotline: 44945500
2 – Free line: 8005000
3 – E-mail of the department of CPD: cpd@mbt.gov.qa
4 – SMS on the number: 92665
Send the word Consumer + text of the complaint
5 – FaxNumber: 44173469
 

 
In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, in order to ensure the consumer profit, the cited department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of August 2011. The violations have been amounted to 66 violations, including:

As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 54 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

 
The Department of Consumer Protection in the Ministry of Business and Trade, through its continuous inspective campaigns that cover all the commercial outlets in the market, aiming to ensure the traders compliance with the laws and decisions related to the Consumer Protection, detected a “ BLACK ” Hair Oil with an expired validity date, to be sold to the consumer in one of the retail centers in the State.
The detected product constitutes a misleading action against the consumer, by replacing the initial validity date by a new poster holding a fake date, action that constitutes a violation of the Article No. (7) of the Law No. (8) for the year 2008 on Consumer Protection, which stipulates : The supplier is committed during introducing any commodity to clearly indicate on its cover or packaging, the type, nature and the components of the item, and all the data related to it, as determined by the executive regulations of this law, and to state whether any danger may be caused by the use of the commodity. It is strictly prohibited to include any fake or misleading information.
The inspectors of the Consumer Protection Department detected the cited commodity, took the available quantities in the center, issued a sanction and started a criminal case in the issue. 
The Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, stresses all suppliers, traders and business owners practicing commercial activities in the State, that it will apply the strict sanctions and violations set by the laws and decisions related to the Consumer Protection to protect the competition and prevent any form of commercial fraud and monopolistic actions.   
  

The Ministry of Business and Trade informs all companies, suppliers and business owners practicing commercial activities in the State of Qatar, that, in line with the Emiri Decision No. (50) for the year 2011 on the increase of basic salaries, social allowances and pensions for employees and retirees of Qatari civilians and military personnel in the state ;
The Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, describesits keenness to preserve the public interest, stating that it will cooperate with the concerned authorities in the State to prevent any kind of unjustified price rises. The Ministry warns that it will move toward the criminal proceedings and take the deterrent measures as stated in the laws, regulations and Ministerial decisionsrelevant to the Consumer Protection and the fight against commercial fraud, in order to protect the competition and prevent any monopolistic practices.
His Excellency Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade,instructed those in charge in the Ministry to protect the income of individuals and the general public,stressing the importance ofensuring that service consumption grows in a balanced manner with the growth of savings and investment capacity of the members of the Qatari society, and the necessity of enhancing awareness and responsibility among traders and business owners and the consumers as well.
In addition to the Department of Consumer Protection’s vital role in price control and the prevention of unfair business practices, the Ministry of Business and Trade stresses the importance of the consumer’s cooperation with the Ministry by complaining or reporting any unjustified rises in prices, through one of the following ways :
To communicate with the Department of Consumer Protection you can use the following contact ways:
1 – Free line: 8005000
2- Hotline: 44945500 / 44945550
3- Ministry Number : 44945555
4- SMS on the number: 92665
Send the word Consumer + text of the complaint
5 – E-mail of the department of CPD:cpd@mbt.gov.qa
6- Ministry Website :www.mbt.gov.qa
 

 

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, in order to ensure the consumer profit, the cited department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of July 2011. The violations have been amounted to 90 violations, including:

As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 114 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

The Ministry of Business and Trade announced that a total of 267 commodities, including food and non-food items will be available at reduced prices in the local market during the Holy month of Ramadan. The reduced prices are intended to go into effect starting from tomorrow Friday 15/07/2011, and will continue until the end of the fasting month.
Major food items included in the list are edible oil, floor, fish and poultry products, milk, frozen vegetables, pastries and juices. Non-food items include foil paper, tissue paper and several hygiene products.
The Ministry has also entered into an agreement with Qatar Meat and Livestock Company- Mawashi- to import 20,000 Jordanian sheep ahead of Ramadan,
The Department of Consumer Protection at the Ministry of Business and Trade assured that intensive inspections will be launched regularly before and during Ramadan to ensure that all traders abide by the price list. Consumers in their turn, have been urged to report any violations of the rule to the Department.
To review the full price list, kindly check the following link :
http://www.mbt.gov.qa/Arabic/Consumer/Documents/قائمة%20اسعار%20شهر%20رمضان%201432%20هـ.pdf
 

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, the cited department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of June 2011. The violations have been amounted to 95 violations, including:
 
·        Commercial fraud (counterfeit goods)
·        Non-commitment to the fruits and vegetables’ prices announced in the daily bulletin
·        Goods not able to be returned or replaced
·        Unrevealed prices
·        Commercial fraud (selling used wedding cards)
·        Promotions unauthorized by the Department of Consumer Protection
·        Prices not stated in Arabic
·        Goods sold with prices higher than those stated on the commodity
·        In addition to promoting wrong features and specifications for some goods and services.   
 
As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 86 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

A press conference will be held today, Tuesday, 21/6/2011, during which Sheikh Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Director of Consumer Protection Department, will address a speech regarding the Ministry’s initiative to reduce the prices of various commodities during the Holy month of Ramadan. The press conference will be held at 11 am on the nineteenth floor (19) at the Ministry building.

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, the cited department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of May 2011. The violations have been amounted to 79 violations, including:
·        Commercial fraud
·        Unrevealed prices
·        Unauthorized promotions
·        Discounts exceeding 50%
·        Prices not stated in Arabic
·        Increase in the prices of the Australian Beef
·        Non-commitment to the fruits and vegetables’ prices announced in the daily bulletin
·        In addition to hiding features and specifications of some goods and services.   
As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 98 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

Under the patronage of HE Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, and as a part of the first cultural season program of the Department of Consumer Protection, a lecture was held on Monday morning, 06/06/2011, by Dr. Roshdi Al Mohamadi, entitled “Competition Protection Law and its role in Supporting the Business Climate”, in the hall of HE Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani, in the ministry building.
A large crowd of public had attended the lecture during which the Doctor. exposed several important subjects, between them are the importance of the Competition Protection Law in supporting the business climate, and its role in the development of the performance of the different national enterprises.
The lecture ended by an open debate during which a number of attendants addressed questions to the Doctor. on the same topic.

 

HE Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, met this morning with Mr. Changchun Xi’an, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of Xingjian Uygur Autonomous Region’s Party Committee. During the meeting, they discussed the cooperation relations between the two friendly countries, and the ways to support and develop these relations, especially in the domains of Business and Trade.

 
The Department of Consumer Protection, in cooperation with the Foodstuff Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, held a meeting with all the Foodstuff distributors licensed by the Foodstuff Department, where they reviewed some of the acts and practices made by some foodstuff distributors, in addition to the complaints made by the consumers regarding the additional charges imposed on the feed and food prices stated in the vouchers issued by the Foodstuff Department in the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The distributors were alerted to abide by the prices specified in the vouchers granted to eligible citizens, without charging them any additional burdens or amounts. They were also informed that a poster will be distributed in several languages ​​to all the foodstuff outlets to clarify the given instructions.
And the Department of Consumer Protection as it announces that it stresses to abide by the instructions so as not to be the distributor liable for, according to Article No. (10) of Law No. (8) for the year 2008, on consumer protection, which provides that “not permissible for a provider to hide any commodity or refrain from selling in order to control the market price or to impose purchase certain amounts of them, or buy other goods with them or receive a price higher than the price that has been announced, “has been taking the necessary undertakings which will be inspectors of judicial administration to pass on the distributors to make sure comply with the instructions issued in this regard.
The Consumer Protection Department emphasizes the need to comply with these instructions; otherwise, the distributors will be subject to legal accountability, pursuant to Article 10 of Law No. 8 of 2008 on the consumer protection, which stipulates, “ A supplier may not conceal or refuse to sell any commodity for the purpose of controlling the market price, nor may he impose the purchase of particular quantities thereof or of another commodity therewith, or ask for a price higher than the prescribed commodity price”. The Department inspection constables will inspect distributors to ensure the instructions issued in this regard are being followed.
 

Qatar Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority held this Monday, 30/05/2011, the first Board of Directors’ meeting in the Ministry of Business and Trade. During the meeting, some important decisions related to the work of the authority were approved, and two presentations on the economic zones and small and medium enterprises projects were presented.
Moreover, HE Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade,(Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Authority)issued during the meeting his instructions to those concerned to take necessary measures to commence the work on the two projects in order to complete what has been achieved by the former steering committees, since the two projects are of great importance to the people of Qatar and their companies, and will help in overcoming the difficulties facing owners of small and medium enterprises.
The members of the Board of Directors of the importance of its objectives, and key role to promote economic diversification and trade in the state and the expected role of a sector of small and medium-sized companies is the strength and flexibility.
The members of the Board of Directors stressed on the importance of the objectives pursued by this authority and its key role in boosting economic and commercial diversification in the country, as well as its role in activating the small and medium enterprises sector.

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, the cited department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of April 2011. The violations have been amounted to 37 violations, including unauthorized discounts and promotions, unrevealed prices, counterfeit goods, prices not announced in Arabic, in addition to hiding features and specifications of some goods and services.    
As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 78 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

HE Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, met in his office on Wednesday afternoon, 04/05/2011, with His Excellency Mr. Seven Morik Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications and Labor in Saxony – Germany and his accompanying delegation who are currently visiting the country.

During the meeting, they discussed the ways of strengthening the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields, especially those related to the business and trade.

As per decision by HE Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, Ms. Maha Mohammed Al Nesf, was designated as Director of the Department of Human Resources in the Ministry of Business and Trade.

HE Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani received at his office, Tuesday, 10/5/2011, Dr. Rob Davis – Minister of Trade and Industry, Republic of South Africa.

During the meeting, they discussed the cooperative relationships between the two friendly countries and the ways of enhancing theses relations, especially with regard to the areas of Business and Trade.

The Ministry of Business and Trade organized, between 9 to 12/5/2011, a National Workshop on the International Classification for Industrial Designs under the Locarno Agreement, and the International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks under the Vienna Agreement. The workshop was organized under the direct supervision of the Department of Registration and Commercial Licenses represented by the Office of Industrial Property, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The workshop aimed to define the Locarno’s agreement on the International Classification of Industrial Designs, in addition to the Vienna Agreement on the International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks. It aimed as well to introduce to the employees in the Industrial Property Department these mentioned definitions and classifications in order to raise and develop the staff skills and keep abreast of new developments and promote the culture of the intellectual property protection.

This workshop comes to raise the level of services provided by the Ministry, to reach the standards of global services.

It must be mentioned as well that the workshop was under the supervision of Mr. / Jean-Paul, expert in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

HE Sheikh Jassim bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, Minister of Business and Trade,accompanied by HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Qatar, have toured the “Single-window” project, at the Ministry of Business and Trade, and which aimsto streamline and facilitate the procedures for commercial registration and licenses and cut down on efforts and time.
 
His Excellency the Minister listened to Mrs. Meera Bint Hamad Al-Attiyah, Director of Commercial Registration and Licenses, who explained the capacities and the advantages of the project, in addition to a presentation that exposes the new procedures for the project.

Mrs. Meera Bint Hamad Al-Attiyah told the reporters that the single window is designed to minimize the efforts and time on businessmen, and to facilitate and simplify the business establishment procedures,so that businessmen will not need to go over more than one counter for documents processing as all procedures will be concentrated in one place.

She noted that the presence of the single window is a main component of a stimulating business environment that helps to develop business in one place where businessmen can establish their company in the shortest period of time.
The services to be provided by the single window include:
1. Decades to establish companies
2. Commercial Registration
3. Trade Name
4. Commercial licenses
5. Advertising Licenses
6. Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry fees

Adding to that, a guideline on how to establish a business was posted on the Ministry’s website, showing and explaining all the requirements and forms that must be brought at the foundation of a new company, on the following link:
http://www.mbt.gov.qa/arabic/Businessmen/Pages/default.aspx
 
Al-Attiyah explained that through the single window the businessman can establish his company in two steps, if he follows the detailed steps cited in the business establishment guideline; these two steps are:

The first step:
1 – Choose the Trade Name
2 – Review and approve the Foundation Contract form
The Second Step:
1 – Foundation Contract Documentation
2 – Issuing a membership in Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry
3 – Issuing the commercial register
4 – Issuing the commercial license
5 – Issuing a license for commercial advertising
It is essential also to make sure to attach a letter of capital deposition, print the articles of establishment and foundation, and obtain approvals to exercise your business.
Mrs. Al Attiyah added that in the pursuit of positive interaction between the businessmen and the staff of the single window, the ministry is providing a mechanism to evaluate the employee’s performance by businessmen, and that this evaluation will have high interest as it will affect the remuneration of the employee, in an effort to motivate the staff of the single window.
The Director of the Department of Registration and Business Licenses indicated at the end of her statement that the single window takes place in the building of the Ministry of Business and Trade located at Al-Dafna – West Bay, and that the hours of work start from seven o’clock until one and a half afternoon. She added that the single window is dedicated to the businessmen, partners and managers of companies authorized to sign, stating that the ministry always strives to make things easy for businessmen through the provision of electronic services, inviting them to deal with those services in pursuit of the exploitation of their time without the need for access to the ministry building; and these services include:
• Company name reservation
• Extract of Commercial Register
• Commercial activities’ fees calculation
In addition to the above, other services are available on the following link:http://www.gov.qa/wps/portal/services

 

HE Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, met on Sunday morning, 05/22/2011, at Doha Sheraton Hotel, with His Excellency Mr. Pierre Lellouche, the French Minister of State for Foreign Trade.
 
The meeting discussed many issues of common concern in the region, especially in the areas of business and trade.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Faisal bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of Qatari Businessmen Association, and a number of prominent officials in the State, along with a delegation from the French Government and companies.

Out of interest of the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the market’s commitment to the law of consumer protection, and the decisions regulating the work of the Department of Consumer Protection, especially those aiming to prevent commercial fraud and counterfeiting goods, and as an implementation of Article No. (6) of the Law No. (8) for the year 2008 on consumer protection, which stipulates that it is strictly prohibited to sell or offer or promote or advertise any fake or corrupted good, that does not conform to the set standards and specifications, or it is unusable or has an expired validity period” ;
A number of inspectors detected during inspection campaigns a counterfeit product (Shampoo) under the name of “Head & Shampoos” as an imitation of the original mark “Head & shoulders”. It appeared through the presentation of the item in the different shops a large similarity between the counterfeit product and the original one, in terms of form and design.
The unit of Public Relations and Communication emphasizes that these inspection campaigns come out of the ministry’s efforts to insure the safety of the consumers from fraud and counterfeiting, and as an implementation of the Consumer Protection laws, as well as the different laws and rules regulating the activities of the Department of Consumer Protection.

Under the patronage of HE Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, and as a part of the first cultural season program of the Department of Consumer Protection, a lecture was held on Sunday evening, 04/24/2011, by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Arifi, titled “Pricing of goods and services in terms of religion, ethics and legitimacy”, in the hall of HE Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim Al Thani, in the ministry building.
A large crowd of public had attended the lecture during which the Sheikh exposed the most important legal and ethical rules and regulations related to trade, and explained as well the terms of expensiveness and monopoly in the view of religion, exposing the ethics that a merchant must have, and the legitimate sanctions that must be imposed on the exploiter and the monopolist.
The lecture was closed by an open debate during which a number of attendants addressed questions to the Sheikh on the same topic.

  
 
His Highness the Heir Apparent Sheikh / Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani has visited yesterday the Ministry of Business and Trade’s pavilion at the career fair, during his inauguration of the Qatar Career Fair 2011, and thanked the MBT employees, insisting on the importance of intensifying the efforts to achieve the desired goals of this fair in a way that serves the people of Qatar.
The participation of the ministry witnesses this year a huge attention from the side of His Excellency Sheikh / Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, whose top priority is to achieve the overall vision of His Highness the Emir Sheikh / Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, based on the principal of human development and the investment in knowledge.
The Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by all of its departments, has tried this year to achieve an active participation through the consecration of multiple mechanisms to receive the applications using electronic services and devices (Touch Screens) equipped with programs tied directly to the system of Human Resources in the Ministry.
Ms. / Fatima Dosari, Acting Director of Human Resources, stated that the ministry has sought this year to use modern scientific methods based on personal identification in the selection of the appropriate position for each individual.
The Director of Human Resources added that the ministry’s pavilion in the Carrier Fair offers this year to its visitors a documentary film about the ministry over the working hours, and that the participation of the ministry would not be restricted to the employment, but will also include training programs and scholarships.

In the context of the permanent efforts made by the Ministry of Business and Trade, represented by the Department of Consumer Protection, to monitor the markets and the economic activities in the State, the cited department has revealed today a number of violations committed during the month of March 2011. The violations have been amounted to 29 violations, including commercial fraud, unauthorized discounts and promotions, unrevealed prices, in addition to hiding features and specifications of some goods and services.   
As for the complaints received by the Department of Consumer Protection, and which have been amounted to 142 complaints, they have been dealt with and transmitted to the responsible competent departments.

HE Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdualziz Al Thani, the Minster of Business & Trade, met this morning, Monday 21/03/2011, in his office at the ministry building, Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ricardo Patiño, with his accompanying delegation who pays currently a visit to the country.
The meeting was centered on the different ways to develop the economic relations between the two countries.