To protect consumer rights

Executive bodies of state power are empowered to create hotlines for consumer appeals about possible violations of their rights. Information about the created hotlines must be posted in sales areas and next to the cash registers. Amendments to the laws "On the Protection of Consumer Rights" and "On the State Tax Service of the PMR" were considered today in the Supreme Council.

The authors of the legislations noted that the purchase and sale agreement, according to the norms of the Civil Code, is considered concluded from the moment the seller issues the buyer a cash or sales receipt, which confirms the payment for the goods. It is the cash (sales) receipt that is one of the most important tools for protecting consumer rights in the sphere of purchase and sale of goods, provision of services and performance of work. All individual entrepreneurs working under the simplified tax system must issue their customers a cash receipt according to the law.

Regulatory authorities respond to the request and conduct inspections in such cases. If the information about the failure to issue a receipt is confirmed, tax authorities have the right to impose a fine.

A proposal was made to place information about the hotline in sales areas and facilities in order for the buyer to be aware of their rights. Executive authorities were given the right to create such hotlines.

The Supreme Council supported the Government's proposal and adopted amendments to the laws in the first reading. The relevant Committee on Economics developed amendments for the second reading. In particular, the original provision of the law-in-draft that sellers would be required to post information about the hotline was excluded. Instead, tax inspectors were given the right to independently post such information on paper or other media at retail facilities. The package of legislations on the operation of a hotline for the protection of consumer rights and information about it at retail outlets was adopted by the Supreme Council in two readings at once and will come into force in 14 days.