ASTANA – Kazakhstan intends to introduce the institution of an ombudsperson for the protection of consumer rights. Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev presented to the deputies of the Mazhilis, lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, a draft amendment to the law on the protection of consumer rights on Sept. 4.
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The document aims to significantly improve the situation on the market and ensure more reliable protection of the rights of every Kazakhstan citizen. The updated law will cover almost all areas of services, including housing and communal services, transport, medicine and tourism, with the exception of the financial sector, reported the Ministry of Trade and Integration’s press service.
“Modern realities dictate new rules of the game. The previous law on the protection of consumer rights can no longer cope with the challenges of the time. The new bill is not just a set of formal changes, but a comprehensive system of measures aimed at creating a fair and transparent consumer environment,” said Shakkaliyev.
Along with the institute of ombudsperson, the amendments suggest to cut down unnecessary bureaucracy: the procedure for protecting consumer rights will become simpler and faster. Instead of numerous instances, the consumer will only need to contact two: the pre-trial stage and the court. Companies that violate consumer rights will bear more serious liability, including financial sanctions. New regulations will also help protect consumers from fraud in e-commerce.
The amendments propose to exclude medical products and mobile subscriber devices from the list of non-returnable goods, as well as to remove 100% non-refundability under contracts for the purchase of air tickets and tourist services.
The adoption of amendments to the law on the protection of consumer rights is supposed to stimulate the development of fair competition in the market, strengthen the consumer protection system and improve the quality of life in society.
In 2021, Kazakhstan’s Consumer Protection Committee of the Ministry of Trade and Integration received 25,000 consumer appeals, in 2022 – 30,000, in 2023 their number increased to 51,000.
