KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Amani Buresli affirmed the Ministry's commitment to the regulatory role assigned to it in order to protect local markets, as well as consumers' interest. Buresli told the press yesterday that the main role of the Ministry is to protect the consumer from any fraud or manipulation, or any abnormal conditions that may exist in the local markets, adding that the most important tasks of the ministry is to maintain the natural conditions of the market and fight again
st any fraud exercised to ensure fair competition.

She said that the cooperation between the ministry and other government agencies contributed significantly to the maintenance of the price levels of basic goods, to be less than in neighboring countries, where it was allowed for non-dealers to import without constraints as long as they do not violate local trade rules.

Kuwait imports most of its goods from abroad, making them vulnerable to any event or emergencies in the exporting countries, Buresli said, noting that the ministry is following up vigorously for the conditions in these countries to be prepared for any upcoming emergencies and to develop alternative plans in case of suspension of imports from these countries to cooperate with Kuwaiti companies to substitute the imports.

She explained that the Ministry of Commerce is not ignorant of global rise of the rates which are identified by specialized indexes such as the the index of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). She confirmed that the ministry is working to mitigate the effects of such increases and to ensure real prices in the local markets. She also confirmed supervision teams are distributed all over Kuwait to combat fraud and the increase of prices.- KUNA