Authorities in Erbil crack down on fake discounts ahead of new year

ERBIL — Erbil’s Commercial Inspection Committees continue monitoring local markets to prevent price hikes ahead of the New Year. Inspectors are conducting regular visits to shops, and penalties have been issued against several stores found violating regulations during sales and promotions.

Hogr Ali, Director of Commercial Inspection in Erbil, told 964media, “Our teams are actively inspecting markets to prevent price manipulation, especially with the high number of tourists visiting Erbil during the New Year season.”

He emphasized that inspections will continue day and night during the New Year period, stating, “Any store found overcharging customers will face penalties.”

Ali also revealed that some clothing stores were penalized after investigations revealed false discounts. “During inspections, we found that some promotions were merely advertisements without actual discounts, so penalties were issued,” he said.

According to the guidelines from the Commercial Inspection Department, all markets, supermarkets, and companies must submit a list of discounted items and their prices at least ten days before any sale begins. Both the original and discounted prices must be clearly displayed and reported for monitoring purposes.