The law prohibiting the sale and purchase of settlement goods was issued by President Mahmoud Abbas on 26 April 2010, with a penalty of two to five years in prison and a fine of no less than 10,000 Jordanian dinars or a combination of the two according to offense.
Al-Karamah fund director Omer Qabaha said in a statement that if merchants voluntarily submitted to the check before the deadline they would be awarded the Al-Karamah Medal to display in their shops.
The ministry-backed fund has organized the “no settlement goods” campaign and led shop-to-shop and house-to-house canvasing to distribute information and conduct voluntary checks ahead of the ban’s implementation.
On 1 August, “any merchant who violates [the ban] will be legally accountable,” Qabaha noted, explaining that trained inspectors will carry out tours of commercial centers and industrial facilities.
Those who “find it difficult to distinguish between settlement produce and other goods, or who have questions on the issue should call the toll-free number set up by the committee, 1 700 300 300,” Qabaha said, noting that it is confidential and operates 24 hours.
“We are committed to helping traders and merchants get rid of settlement goods and produce,” he said.
