By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Although inspectors of the Ministry of Commerce go on regular inspections in various areas and locations, prices of some products have still increased. At a cooperative society, the price of both local and imported tomatoes has risen by around 30 percent in two days. When Kuwait Times asked the director of the supermarket about the reason for the price hike, he said that it's the supplier that increased the price and not the co-op.

Kuwait Times tried to contact the Consumer Protection Department of the Ministry of Commerce to get information about the reason for this price increase and whether the supplier is controlled by the ministry, but was not able to get in contact with the ministry through any of its channels.

The popular channel for consumers to register a complaint or get information is by calling the hotline of the Consumer Protection Department on 135. But this number is not a hotline anymore, as its working hours are now limited to only four hours (9:00 am to 1:00 pm). When calling during these hours, nobody answers most of the time. When someone does pick up the phone, they will usually direct the caller to file their complaint through their WhatsApp number.

The WhatsApp number 55135135 will not connect the consumer with any staff, but will automatically send a link for the complainant to the fill in their personal information and verify it with the Kuwait Mobile ID app. If the consumer calls 135 out of working hours, the answering machine will lead the caller via a recorded message to register their complaint on their website: ccas.moci.gov.kw, which leads to the app that requires authenticating with the Kuwait Mobile ID and does not provide for a simple registration of a complaint or obtain information.

According to the call center on 135, there are consumer protection offices in different areas in all governorates that work for only three hours - from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm (before Ramadan), that also receive complaints. The address of these centers is not mentioned on the ministry's website. It's hard for the consumer to receive assistance or help from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry if they face a problem with any store, product or service.