The project «Sapaly Onim» is designed to increase the effectiveness of consumer protection. Kazakhstanis, primarily public institutions, should declare their rights to quality and safe products.
More about the public concept told the head of the Department of Trade and Consumer Protection for Aktobe region Zhumamurat Aldashev:
— «Sapaly Onim» is presented by the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project involves opening the way to a decisive, turning point in building civilised market relations.
— What is the purpose of launching this concept in the country?
— The Ministry of Trade and Integration has a Situation Room for technical barriers to trade, as well as the importation and circulation of safe products. Its purpose is to protect the domestic market from cheap and low-quality imports with the application of existing instruments of state control, voiced in the Message of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan from 1 September 2023 «Economic Guideline of Fair Kazakhstan».
— Who is a member of the staff?
— Heads of the relevant ministry, as well as the ministries of health, agriculture, committees of technical regulation and metrology, sanitary and epidemiological control, veterinary supervision and control, state inspection in the agro-industrial complex and representatives of the Kazakhstan Institute of Standardisation and Metrology.
— What are the results of the work?
— About 68 types of imported products were jointly examined. Violations of food safety regulations were detected for 19 types of products. In particular, such violations included non-compliance of products with sanitary and epidemiological requirements, declared characteristics and composition, and labelling requirements.
As a result, the Ministry cancelled 63 declarations of conformity of food products and more than 200 documents on conformity assessment.
— Are legislative instruments and mechanisms ready for the implementation of «Sapaly Onim»?
— The current Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan «On Protection of Consumer Rights» allows public associations to study the consumer properties of goods, initiate quality and safety expertise, conduct surveys of the population to identify public opinion on the quality of products, apply to government agencies to assess the quality of goods, file lawsuits in court in the interests of consumers, disseminate information on the results of research into the quality and safety of products, use photo, audio, video recording of all actions taken when visiting the places of purchase and sale of goods, as well as the use of information on the quality and safety of products.
It should be noted that in 9 months the regional public associations considered 894 consumer appeals. As a result, 692 complaints were satisfied, 188 were explained and legal assistance was provided. Through the court and pre-trial procedure, 32.8 million tenge was returned to consumers.
At the end of the conversation, the head of the regional department emphasised that ensuring food security in the domestic market cannot be achieved without the active position of civil society, public institutions, mass media and generally indifferent consumers.