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Commerce Min on protection of consumers

15/03/2010 10:18
Commerce Minister, Antonis Paschalides ensured on Monday that the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Finance recognizes the important role that the consumers play in the economic growth, the increase in real revenues and the improvement of social welfare.

In his message for the World Day of Consumer Rights, he said that the protection of the consumers is a top priority for him and has adopted rules and procedures that boost their confidence towards the safeguard of quality and safe goods and services.

Mr. Paschalides noted that “the consumer’s confidence in the operation of the market, his effective protection and the growing of consumers’ conscience is an indication of development in a democratic state”.

“The Minister is close to the consumers, defending their rights and helping them to strengthen their leading role, promoting the welfare and their effective protection”.

For the World Day of Consumer Rights, the Minister said that “it reminds all EU member states of their obligation to boost the welfare of the consumers and to protect them from every risk or threat since they are the biggest economic entity, which plays an important role in the development of economic transactions and trade, the strengthening of competition and the competitiveness of the businesses, as well as the completion of the Single Internal Market”.

Mr. Paschalides said that this year the European Commission had as a main issue in the events of the World Day of Consumers’ Rights the “Services” and especially the safeguard of better access to the services, the “Fairer Treatment” and the “Restoration of losses” that consumers might suffer from the provision of Services as well as the bigger “Choice” as to the service providers.

“This years’ events for the Day focus on the slogan “Your money, your rights”, which is closely connected to the right to choose, the safeguard of better quality of goods and services as well as the protection of the consumers’ rights”.

Mr. Paschalides said that “according to the European Consumers’ Commissioner, John Dali, in this era of globalization, EU focuses on the creation of a real Single Internal Market”.

“This Single Internal Market will aim to the better service of the citizens, securing a wider choice of products and services, better quality, transparency and price comparability”, the Minister said.

“With this year’s topic, consumers are encouraged to use more technology, especially the internet for the safeguard of services”, he concluded.