Hanan Al -Khalfan
In the cycle of daily life, the consumer does not find a time to achieve everything that is on his way. We live according to the principle of trust, and we may not have the luxury of doubt. We buy what we need, we read accurately printed dates, and trust in what we see in front of us. But when this confidence is broken, it is not just a defect, but rather a shock that shakes the depths of society.
What happened recently, as the press dealt with, about discovering a manipulation of the validity of food commodities within a well -known commercial chain, was not a passing news. Rather, it was a shocking event that reveals the size of the gap between what we see and what is going on behind the curtain. Correct foods on the way to the consumer, old shelves wearing the new, and many eyes that preferred silence.
Amid this suspicious scene, he looks a new face of the truth. A simple Asian worker, may not be good at Arabic, and does not have any authority, but he possesses what many have been unable to: a vigilant conscience. This factor did not wait for instructions, nor did he justify the silence, but rather the effect of recording what was happening and raising it to the public. He was not a super hero, but he was another kind … a hero who refused to close his eyes.
Here is the question: How many times are we passed by these shelves? How many meals reached a family table, which carried in its components a silent danger? How much is a baby milk packaging or infant food, the parents thought of a source of nutrition and safety, so if they bear what threatens the health of innocent people in their fragile beginnings? These questions are painful, not because they condemn anyone, but rather because they reveal to what extent we can be deceived while we smile, and give confidence without knowing that we put them in a misplaced place.
It is not possible to talk about this issue, without appreciating the role played by the concerned authorities, in advance of which is the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which dealt with the communication with responsibility and speed worthy of appreciation, and emphasized that the protection of the consumer and the safety of society is a priority that is not compromising. This firm response reflects an important institutional awareness in the face of fraud, and returns to the consumer part of the reassurance that almost faded.
An important aspect cannot be overlooked in this case, which is the right of affected families. It is not unlikely that many families have bought these products with confidence, and they may still keep them without knowing their source or validity. As the incident coincided with the descent of salaries, the damage has affected the pockets of people and their psyche alike. Therefore, offering a mechanism to compensate the affected people or retrieve the value of purchases that prove that they belong to these suspicious products, will be a fair step that brings back the consumer something of his right, and makes him feel that his voice and money have a value in the balance of societal justice.
Commercial fraud does not come suddenly. It begins with leniency, and grows up with every time he is silent. What is terrified of the story is that these practices have been for a long time, without discovering. This makes us rethink: Who protects the consumer? Are we satisfied with monitoring, or should we cultivate a culture in people, “I say even alone”?
Honoring this factor is not a luxury, it is a message. A message that says: Whoever informs the error is estimated, inferior. Whoever defends the truth finds someone to hear. Perhaps this is the biggest thing we need now: that every employee, every worker, every consumer, feels that his voice is not lost, and that integrity is not rewarded with silence.
Perhaps what happened is the beginning of a new awareness, not only dependent on the regulatory authorities, but it starts from within us. From our sense of responsibility, from our ability to accountize, from the courage of the question. Trust is not imposed, but is granted and deserved. Frankly, if the voice of this worker has shook the shelves of fraud, then his voice may be the first step to build new shelves … befitting the confidence of people.
