Qatar punishes gas stations for invoice fraud

Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) announced that eight gas stations in the country were penalized for issuing fraudulent invoices, reported Doha News.

MEC issued a warning to all gas stations to monitor their employees’ actions particularly when it comes to issuing correct and dated receipts.

Eleven cases of price manipulations, which were found by consumer protection inspectors, included invoices bearing only the price without the amount of fuel pumped or invoices that stated that more fuel was pumped than had been recorded on the fuel dispenser.

In some cases, an alleged conspiracy between attendants and drivers who were using their employers’ cars took place. Drivers were charged more than what they actually got so they could keep the difference.

To further address the issue, the authorities will conduct regular random inspection in all gas stations across the country and will penalize repeat offenders with penalties including temporary closure, publication of the closure notices in national newspapers, and notices displayed on its premises.

Legal actions, which include jail sentences and fines, will also be imposed against fraudulent gas stations.