Social-Democrats propose to set up independent consumer protection agency

The Social-Democratic Party (PSD) announces it will shortly propose a new legislative initiative to ensure the state really protects the consumers, Info-Prim Neo reports. The party's president MP Dumitru Braghis told a news conference on Wednesday that the NGOs dealing with this matter are not backed by the state, while the agencies subordinated to the Government do work properly. The parliamentarian says an Inspectorate to deal with market supervision, metrology and consumer protection has recently been instituted in the subordination of the Economy and Trade Ministry, but it has done nothing. The PSD's move pursues to create an independent agency to protect the consumers, with large powers. “It's well know that it's the Cabinet's task to draft laws, while the regulation and checking are operated by independent agencies,” Dumitru Braghis said. “Now the consumer has to defend himself alone not only from poor-quality goods, but also from monopolies, having no chance to win in courts,” Eduard Musuc, the PSD's secretary explains, stressing on the need to modify the legislation in this respect. The independent agency is thought to be created within 4-5 months, subordinated to the Moldovan Parliament, MP Dumitru Godoroja said. The costs to set up the agency are projected to be 3 million lei.