Toy-sellers in Qatar facing tough times

ALMOST a year after the global toxic-toys scare, toy-sellers in Qatar have little to cheer with what they claim is imposition of stringent quality checks by the authorities.

While some toy-sellers previously sold 15-18 containers every six months, the number has now come down to one container a month.

“Close to 75% of our toys were destroyed late last year,” an official of a toy store said.

Over 20mn Chinese-made toys were recalled last year due to excessive lead paint or carcinogens that can cause allergies. In one of the highest-profile cases, US giant Mattel recalled 18mn toys in August 2007, including such icons as Batman and Barbie doll.

“Following the scare, governments around the GCC quickly moved in and imposed stricter measures to bring toys into the countries,” said an official at a leading chain of shops selling mostly Chinese-made products from QR5 to QR20.

The General Organisation of Standards and Metrology (GOSM) did crack down on toy shops in Qatar in August 2007 and directed some to withdraw five different brands of unsafe Chinese toys from the shelves.

“Now every stock entering the country must have a certificate that says it is chemical-free; complies with Qatar’s standards on toys, and other information such as packaging and labelling,” the retail-shop official said.

“But a certificate is only valid for one year,” he added.

According to him and others in the industry, the charges for quality-tests at the laboratories are expensive, the 12-month validity of a certificate too short and the loss from earlier stock still too big to be making any profit.

Others say that the specification and standard department in Dubai, for example, puts the pictures and serial numbers of all the toys it deems objectionable on their website, helping the retailers to know what is blacklisted.

“This should be done in Qatar too. Right now, you don’t even know what you can and what you can’t bring in” a toy-store official said.

However, GOSM general manager Mohamed bin Saif al-Kuwari said “the measures were implemented to ensure public safety.

“These toy shops don’t really have to get a certificate from us. They can obtain a certificate from labs in Dubai, or even in China. We need to make sure that specifications are complied with, though,” al-Kuwari told Gulf Times.

“There are delays however, if we find an unsafe toy during our regular inspections. In such a case we request retailers to go back to the factory and get more information,” al-Kuwari added.

“This might delay bringing of that particular stock into Qatar. But there’s not much we can do when these retailers themselves don’t get back to us after our request,” he maintained.

Some toy shops said they prefer not to stock toys from China and instead buy them from places like the US, Italy or Germany.

However, China remains world’s top toy exporter by selling 60% of the globe’s total.

“Toys like battery-operated train, plastic handguns, assorted cars and others available at our store for less than QR10 are what children want. And only Chinese products can be sold at this range. This whole quality awareness is a new trend,” a shop-owner added.