Awareness seminar highlights safe online shopping in Nizwa
The event was aimed to raise public awareness about consumer rights and safe purchasing practices amidst the rapid transformation of the digital economy.
The seminar, which saw a wide community turnout, began with an opening speech by Ali bin Salim al Hadhrami, Director of the Consumer Protection Department in Al Dakhiliyah. He stated, 'Online shopping has become a part of our daily lives. With this widespread usage, challenges such as commercial fraud, delivery delays and non-compliance with product specifications have also increased. Therefore, awareness is no longer optional — it is essential to protect consumers from practices that harm their interests.'
He added: 'This seminar coincides with the launch of the second edition of the 'Safe Shopping in the Digital Economy' campaign for 2025. We hope it will leave a positive impact on the community by enhancing consumer awareness.'
The event featured visual presentations and working papers. One of the key presentations was a paper titled 'Electronic Contracting', delivered by legal researcher Nasrah bint Mohammed al Saeghiyah, in which she reviewed key consumer rights in digital transactions. She noted that 3,340 violations of the Consumer Protection Law were recorded in 2023 alone, according to figures presented during the 2024 Public Prosecution Conference.
Another working paper was presented by Samiah bint Nasser al Riyamiyah, Quality and Goods Specialist; and Fatma bint Ali al Ramhiyah, Consumer Complaints Researcher, discussing procedures for submitting and processing electronic complaints. The seminar also addressed fundamental consumer rights in online transactions, such as the right to accurate information, freedom of choice, cultural respect, compensation in the case of damage, receiving invoices in Arabic, product quality guarantees and the legal right to return or exchange goods.
Mustafa bin Mohammed al Suleimani, Head of the Market Regulation and Monitoring Section, explained that most complaints in the online shopping sector involve cloth and accessories. He emphasised the availability of various complaint channels, including the consumer protection hotline and the official website, noting that administrative penalties such as fines and license revocations are imposed on violators.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
a day ago
- Times of Oman
Indian PM Modi pushes ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat' mission with 'Zero Defect, Zero Effect'
Bengaluru: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday emphasised that the country's economy is progressing rapidly and the country is firmly on its way to become the third largest global economy. 'We are rapidly moving towards becoming the top third economy. This speed came to us from the spirit of reform, perform, and transform. This speed came to us from clear intention and honest efforts. In 2014, Metro was limited to only five cities. And now there is a network of more than 1000 km in 24 cities... Before 2014, about 20,000 km of rail route was electrified... We have electrified more than 40,000 km of rail route in the last 11 years itself... Till 2014, there were only 74 airports in India. Now their number has increased to more than 160... The figures for waterways are also equally impressive. In 2014, only 3 national waterways were operational. Now this number has increased to 30,' the Prime Minister said. He further said that in the last 11 years, India's economy has risen from 10th place to the top five. 'We are now moving rapidly towards becoming one of the top three economies,' he said. Addressing a public event in Bengaluru, PM Modi pushed for improving the standards of 'Make in India' products with 'zero defect and zero effect'. He expressed his desire for the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka to lead his vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat.' 'We have to strengthen the presence of Bengaluru and Karnataka in 'Make in India'. I urge that our products should be of the standards of 'Zero Defect, Zero Effect'. That is, there should be defect-free products, and their manufacturing should also not have any negative impact on the environment. I expect that the talent of Karnataka will lead this vision of 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat'', the Prime Minister said. PM Modi further drew attention towards the importance of being self-reliant in technology. He said that the next priority of the nation should be to 'Tech Atmanirbhar Bharat'.The Prime Minister stated that it is time for India to accelerate its pace in developing new products. 'Our next big priority among the current achievements should be 'Tech Aatmanirbhar Bharat'... Now is the time to give more priority to the needs of India and move ahead faster in developing new products,' he said. The Prime Minister also hailed Operation Sindoor and the role of 'Make in India' defence in its success. He acknowledged the significant contribution of the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka in this achievement, and extended his congratulations to all for their role in this success. 'The success of Operation Sindoor is due to our technology and the power of 'Make in India' in defence. The youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka have contributed a lot to this,' PM Modi said. 'We are seeing Bangalore emerging as a city that has become a symbol of the rise of the new India... A city that has put India's flag on the global IT map. If there is anything behind Bangalore's success story, it is the hard work and talent of its people,' the Prime Minister said. Mentioning that this was his first visit to Bengaluru following Operation Sindoor, PM Modi highlighted the success of Indian forces, noting their capability to destroy terrorist hideouts deep across the border. He emphasized India's strength in forcing Pakistan, who came to defend the terrorists, to its knees within hours. 'The entire world has witnessed this new face of New India', said the Prime Minister, attributing the success of Operation Sindoor to the power of technology and the strength of Make in India in the defence sector. Trade tensions escalated between India and United States following US President Donald Trump's imposition of a total of 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports. President Trump has accused India of buying Russian oil and energy, which has been funding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Trump had taken to his social media platform Truth Social after the announcement of 25 per cent tariffs against India and threatened an additional 'penalty' for importing Russian oil. 'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India; their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world.' Trump said on his Truth Social. Later Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that he is 'glad' that the US President has stated a fact and that the whole world knows the Indian economy is 'dead' except for the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. 'Yes, he is right, Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact... The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has finished the economy to help Adani,' the Congress leader had said.
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Times of Oman
"We are close to reaching a deal," Danish Ambassador to India on EU-India trade negotiation
New Delhi: Denmark's ambassador to India, Rasmus Christensen, said that the European Union and India are close to making a trade deal, which is a testament to the fact that India is not a "dead economy," as touted by US President Donald Trump. In an interview with Christensen the diplomat said that Denmark sees India as a promising place to invest. "I certainly do not see India as a dead economy. On the contrary, it's world's fastest growing economy. And I think a testament to that fact is that the EU and India is negotiating a free trade agreement. I think that will be mutually beneficial," Christensen said. He said that Denmark views India as a promising place to conduct business, which contradicts Trump's claims. "So certainly from a Danish European perspective, we see India as a very promising place to invest and do business with. And that would not be the case if it was a dead economy," the Danish envoy said. He further said that though Denmark holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, all trade policies are thoroughly discussed among all member states and the EU is currently interested in exploring options to invest in India. "Indeed, Denmark currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. Although when it comes to trade policy, as we discussed, it's a responsibility of the EU Commission. But I think we do see a very significant momentum now in the negotiations between the EU and India, probably for all kinds of reasons. Certainly, the EU is also very interested in diversifying its trade relationships," he said. The Ambassador further said that India is an important player in trade with the EU and that now there is an urgency now to conclude the trade agreement. "India is an important player. And I think the same goes for India. So maybe the reason why we have been negotiating for so long was a certain lack of urgency. But I think the urgency is there now. And whether we can conclude it during our presidency in November or December, or whether it comes slightly later, nobody knows," Christensen said. "But I think we are close to reaching a deal. And I remain confident that we will reach a deal," he added. When asked if Europe saw India as a counterbalance to China, Christensen said that Europe is farther away from Asia, and now Europe is realising the downside of having to depend on one country for certain goods. "Of course, Europe is, in that sense, we are kind of a little bit far away from the Indo-Pacific. But I think if you look at it from a geoeconomic perspective, certainly in Europe, there is a growing realisation that, again, we need to diversify our economic partnerships. I think in Europe, in the past couple of years, I think we have also come to realise the reliance we have on one country in particular when it comes to imports of certain goods," he said. Christensen said that the EU is looking to diversify their trade ambit, noting that very few countries could contribute what China did through exports. "And we would like to diversify that. We will, the Europe will keep trading with China, but we would like to increase our trade with others and make sure that our supply chains are more diversified, that we can get access to goods, manufactured goods, whatever from different places. And I think, to be very honest, there are very few countries that could deliver what, for example, China has delivered to the global economy," he said. He futher noted that India is seen as the best alternative to China. "And India is probably the best example of that. So that's why, if you're sitting back in Brussels or Copenhagen or the European capitals and look out into the world, India is probably the upcoming alternative to what we've seen. So therefore, we will invest here," he said. (ANI)
Times of Oman
4 days ago
- Times of Oman
India well-positioned to maintain lead among fast-growing economies in 2025-26: Deloitte
New Delhi: India is well-positioned to maintain its lead among fast-growing economies in FY2025-26, Deloitte asserted in a report, citing the country's resilient capital markets, strong domestic consumption, digitally skilled workforce, and increasing trade partnerships. According to the Deloitte report, India continues to outperform peer economies despite global uncertainty. India's economy closed FY2024-25 with a formidable 6.5% expansion, powered by a sharp 7.4% surge in the final quarter. While this pace signals a moderation from the prior years' 9.2% and 7.6%, analysts stress that what it reflects is not a slowdown but a stabilisation following high base effects. The strength shown in private consumption, investment, services exports, and capital markets makes it clear that the country is well-positioned to maintain its lead among fast-growing economies in FY25-26. Capital markets, despite enduring large capital outflows for much of the fiscal year, staged a sharp rebound from April 2025. Indexed MSCI data reveal that India's equity markets have not only recovered but have doubled in value since 2019, surpassing most emerging market rivals. Domestic investors and a return of foreign portfolio flows have reaffirmed India's attractiveness as a long-term investment destination. Meanwhile, domestic consumption accounted for over 61% of GDP during FY2024-25. Easing inflation, modest monetary policy easing, tax boosts and a growing urban middle-income class all fed into sustained consumer momentum. Deloitte highlights that this demand-side strength remains one of the economy's most durable pillars going into FY2025 26. The report also underscores India's emergence as a global hub for high-skilled services, leveraging a digitally skilled, youthful workforce. With AI skill penetration second only to the US, and over 1,700 Global Capability Centers operating domestically, India is steadily building a reputation for innovation and resilience in services exports. Trade diplomacy is another key theme in Deloitte's outlook. The UK's trade deal, concluded in May 2025, and ongoing negotiations with the United States aim to unlock new access for Indian exporters. Negotiators are working to overcome currently high tariff barriers, such as the 25% levy on multiple US-bound exports, to sustain export momentum and expand market opportunities. Growth during the first three quarters remained muted, as policy caution ahead of national elections, uneven rainfall and broad global trade uncertainty weighed on momentum. However, looking ahead, the Deloitte report forecasts India's GDP growth in FY2025-26 to range between 6.4% and 6.7%, driven by the same engines that propelled success in FY2024-25: resilient capital markets, dynamic domestic consumer demand, and a globally competitive, digitally empowered workforce. Coupled with an assertive push in trade diplomacy, the report concludes that India is exceptionally well placed to continue trending ahead among fast-growing economies in a volatile global landscape.
