Commerce Ministry is tweeting!

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched its official Twitter account. Tweeters can contact the ministry through @SAUDIMCI. The ministry is using Twitter to help its efforts to monitor consumer goods and market prices, improve interaction with the public, and deal with complaints and feedback quicker. The ministry first responded to a consumer complaint after someone in Riyadh posted a tweet on the Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah's account (@tfrabiah) last Friday, complaining about the price of an item found on the shelves of a local supermarket chain in the city. The consumer criticized the supermarket's apparent attempt to claim a discount already provided by the wholesaler on the food item as its own, thus misleading consumers. Al-Rabiah responded to the tweet later the same day. The minster mentioned the ministry had contacted the supermarket's management to get the issue resolved. Al-Rabiah thanked his Twitter followers for their role in pointing out issues of concern and bringing their complaints to the ministry's attention. Before Friday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had no Twitter account, and it seems it was the complaint about the supermarket that encouraged the ministry to launch its official account. As of Monday, the ministry has more than 3,200 followers.