MUSCAT: An e-shopping campaign was launched in all governorates of the Sultanate and was organised by the Consumer Protection Authority (CPA). The campaign helped to enhance public awareness about e-shopping among all segments of society.
The campaign was launched to enhance consumers’ awareness of their rights and duties within the framework of electronic shopping, raise cognitive awareness of the foundations and standards of electronic shopping, and enhance the legal awareness of suppliers in electronic sales outlets of consumer protection legislation.
Khalid al Siyabi, Director, the Department, Regulating and Monitoring Prices of Goods and Services said, “The e-shopping campaign continues for three consecutive weeks, and targets the category of providers, represented by individuals who practice e-commerce, commercial institutions with electronic sales outlets, and consumers of all segments. The Authority expects that the results of the campaign will contribute to reducing the rate of complaints and reports related to online shopping.”
CPR confirmed that it is necessary to be careful when buying and shopping online, especially with the presence of fake websites that commit fraud and steal credit card information, and it is necessary to ensure the importance of websites that provide electronic shopping services being licensed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion to practice e-commerce activity.
In conjunction with the Muscat International Book Fair, CPR organised the dialogue session entitled (Consumer Rights and Supplier Duties in Light of e-Commerce). The session is one of the events and activities implemented by CPA within the e-shopping campaign.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion has issued a ministerial resolution No 499/2023 regarding the regulatory regulations for e-commerce to regulate the practice of this activity in the country.
The decision comes within the national plan for e-commerce with the aim of creating a legal and regulatory environment for developing and promoting e-commerce.
This also includes documenting local e-stores and facilitating access to them, regulating operations related to buying and selling over the Internet, reducing fraud and swindles related to e-commerce, keeping up with developed countries in this field, and monitoring electronic stores.
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