A set of new standards and specifications for electric devices has been drawn up compatible with those standards applied in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Yemen, a senior official in a GCC body told Al-Eqtisdiyah daily.

The new regulatory system is aimed to fight adulterated and fake electric appliances in the GCC markets, Secretary General of GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) Nabil Molla said.

The new regulatory system has a set of conditions that will prevent electric failure or shock in cases where the device is exposed to water, he said adding that they are concerned with the safety of consumers.

In March, Saudi Arabia and the People’s Republic of China signed a cooperation agreement aimed to curb the flow of the adulterated and fake electric appliances into the Saudi markets. However, the Saudi Customs inspectors seized 24 million adulterated items in the first quarter of the current year, a decrease of 23 percent compared to figures of Q4, 2013, the paper said.

According to Molla, the existence of such regulations will put an end to, or at least minimize, the entry of fake items in the GCC countries.

He appreciated the support given by the (Saudi) Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) to the GSO. He expected the new regulatory system to be approved by the end of the current year following approval by the MCI and Saudi Customs Department.

The representatives of the GCC countries will meet and pass the new regulatory system next September. The new regulations will be applied gradually but fully adopted by the end of the current year, he said.