Tougher fines for consumer abuse

TIRANA, July 5 – The parliamentary productive activities and trade committee approved this week some changes to the consumer protection law which strengthens measures against abusive companies. The changes foresee that abusive businesses will be imposed fines of up to 2 percent of their annual turnover in cases of abusing consumers and will also be excluded from participating in public tenders. Meanwhile, penalties for each individual damage to consumers have increased by five times with fines up 500,000 lek. A newly launched website by the Consumer Protection Commission allows Albanian consumers to complain online about unfair commercial practice. Albanian consumers are sometimes misled by some traders while doing their daily shopping or buying services for them and their families. Only few citizens are aware that some misleading actions on the part of traders constitute breaches of Law No. 9902 dated April 17, 2008 “On Consumer Protection”. The Consumer Protection Commission established by the Consumer Protection Law is working to enforce the provisions of the law. Through the newly launched www.kmk.al website the Albanian consumers can learn about their rights as consumers and about how the Law on Consumer Protection protects these rights. Through this web site they can complain online to the Consumer Protection Commission about the unfair commercial practices of traders. The website and consumer complaints management system were developed with the support of the Joint UN Economic Governance, Regulatory Reform and Pro-Poor Development Programme. The programme, besides other activities, supports a stronger voice of consumers in protecting their rights.