Major jewellery shops in Qatar have started issuing new invoices based on the format prescribed by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), according to industry sources.

The MEC-approved format, introduced to protect consumers' interests, offers customers with a detailed sales invoice. It now shows particulars such as “unit price without processors,” “price workmanship,” “purity degree,” and “trademark,” among other information.

Other details include further information about the piece of jewellery like the "total price, carat, gram, number, description, item code, the shop’s stamp, seller’s name and signature, shop data, invoice number, customer name and customer’s Qatar ID number".

Speaking to Gulf Times, Malabar Gold & Diamonds regional head Santhosh TV said only minor changes have been made to his company's sales invoices. He said Malabar’s sales invoices had already been reflecting most of the details prescribed by the MEC.

“We were informed about these changes when we met with MEC officials about six months ago. We added an Arabic translation of the details in the sales invoice. We also clarified with the ministry some procedures regarding our buy back policy.

“While there was no exact deadline given to us, the ministry said we must comply with the directive immediately, within two to three months. We were able to make the necessary changes within a month’s time,” Santhosh pointed out.

The same was reiterated by Sky Jewellery branch manager Rajesh Devkota. Aside from the Arabic translation, he said the management was required by the ministry to change jewellery prices from US dollars to Qatari riyals.

“Prior to the MEC policy, our sales invoice already had the necessary details needed for customers to understand the value and quality of the product that they purchased. These slight changes were not an issue.

“Since all of these details are stored in our company data base, only minor adjustments were made because our sales invoices are printed in real time and extra details can be added easily using a computer,” Devkota said.

According to Santhosh, the new sales invoice encourages transparency and will help build customer confidence and trust in jewellery shops.

“Transparency is good for business. People want to spend and buy anything that is genuine, which is why curiosity or doubt is always there. Providing customers a thorough explanation of the product is good for our clients and our relationship with them,” he said.

This year, many jewellery shops have been struggling with sales due to economic factors and low customer spending, Devkota noted.

He said overall sales from January to September for both gold and diamond jewellery dropped 45% compared to last year. While jewellery demand normally goes up during Ramadan, Devkota said sales declined by 25% during the holy month this year over same period in 2015.

“We are hoping that demand will pick up this November and December when more tourists come to Qatar,” he added.