Government move to install gold screening devices at 4 airports, 7 MAY

  Government move to install gold screening devices at 4 airports

Economy News - Baghdad

The Ministry of Planning clarified, on Tuesday, the mechanism for examining gold in the local markets, and while it indicated that many companies submitted their bids to equip airports with modern equipment, it confirmed that the devices will be in 4 airports.

Ministry spokesman Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi said: "There are procedures regarding the examination of gold at airports that have been implemented during the past months, represented by announcing the request for devices for inspection and the name of gold and non-gold precious jewelry."

"Many specialized companies have submitted and work is underway to select the appropriate bids, so that referral can be made to the concerned company to equip the centres with sensitive equipment," he said.

Al-Hindawi added that "the places and offices for the work of the teams of the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control have been identified at the airports of Baghdad, Najaf, Basra and Kirkuk," stressing that "work will begin as soon as we are equipped with devices for the examination and weight of gold jewelry."

With regard to the legal procedures followed against those who sell adulterated or manipulated gold, he explained that "the standardization and quality control teams continue to follow up on gold affairs by granting licenses to goldsmiths, as well as following up on gold in goldsmiths' shops through continuous inspection, as well as following up on licenses granted."

He continued: "If untagged gold jewelry is seized or unlicensed gold jewellery shops are seized, legal action will be taken against violators in this regard and referred to the courts."

He pointed out that "the legal procedures against violators are the withdrawal of the license, the closure of the shop and other severe legal procedures, but if the violation is minor, the jeweler may be alerted to that violation and the need to address it within a specific period of time, and in the event that he does not comply with the warning, legal proceedings will proceed against him."