Consumers are in the process of lodging a complaint with the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) against the Ministry of Commerce and Industry because of its alleged failure to take action against traders raising prices of essential commodities. Several consumers told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that they are resorting to this action because of the ministry's passive behavior. “We have not heard of the ministry punishing a single merchant for tampering with prices during the sales season, which merchants consider the greatest time to cheat consumers,” said a consumer. They said consumers cannot enjoy any salary increment without merchants trying to get hold of it by raising prices. Dr. Muflih Al-Qahtani, Chairman of the NSHR, said the society looks at every complaint received against any government or non-government body because its task is to protect people's human rights. He said the society has submitted a 49-article draft consumer protection law to the Council of Ministers. The opinion of the majority will be considered when the law is passed, he added. The law will give merchants the right to increase prices of their products by five percent per annum. Any increase beyond this has to be tackled by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, he added. __
