Baku, Azerbaijan, July 12
Trend:
Uzbekistan is considering certain improvements to the country's system of consumer rights protection, said a report on the Unified Portal of Interactive State Services of Uzbekistan.
In particular, the draft decree of the president on improving the system of consumer rights protection developed by the State Committee for the Promotion of Privatized Enterprises and Development of Competition is being discussed.
It was noted that the absence of a single authorized body in this sphere hampers effective protection of consumers' rights and leads to insufficient use of available opportunities.
Further, consumers are not provided with reliable and complete information about goods and services, said the document.
It is proposed to form the Agency for Consumer Rights Protection under the Cabinet of Ministers with offices in Karakalpakstan, regions and Tashkent.
If created, the agency will have to develop a single state policy and regulatory framework in the field of consumer protection and advertising, coordinate activities to protect consumers' rights among consumers, NGOs and authorized bodies exercising control over the safety and quality of goods, work and service, raise awareness and provide consumers with access to reliable and complete information about products, their manufacturers, performers and sellers, including the use of information and communication technologies, etc.
Also, a Consumer Rights Protection Fund may be established within the Agency, and have the following:
- 5 billion soums allocated at a time by the State Committee for the Promotion of Privatized Enterprises and the Development of Competition from the Fund for Assistance to Privatized Enterprises;
- 50 percent of the funds to be credited to the state budget from the amount of unreasonably received income, recovered for violations of consumer protection legislation and advertising;
- charity donations, grants;
- funds received from economic activity, as well as from other sources not prohibited by law.