Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the event dedicated to the Wold Consumer Rights Day.

The event was held at the initiative of the Competition Protection Committee to raise awareness among the general public about the legislative and institutional reforms being implemented in the field of consumer rights protection under the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. It was organized within the framework of the European Union-funded “Support to the Monitoring, Implementation and Communication of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA)” program.

Chairman of the Competition Protection Committee Gegham Gevorgyan, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Babken Tunyan, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan, Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos delivered speeches.

In his speech, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed satisfaction that the World Consumer Protection Day is marked by solutions to the issues raised. “The first of the issues is where an Armenian citizen should turn in case of violation of his consumer rights, and the second is how he should do that. I am glad that a digital module is being introduced, where a citizen can apply for protection of rights online, that is, without leaving home. Of course, it is important to emphasize that in recent years we have been working on the topic and have tried not only to re-confirm the rights established by law, but also to create specific mechanisms for citizens to make use of these rights in real life. I am glad to note that under the new regulations, civil society and non-governmental organizations will also have a very specific role with specific mechanisms to implement this general control,” the Prime Minister said.

According to the Prime Minister, the protection of consumer rights is important not only for consumers, but also for the country and the economy in general, because the quality of consumer rights protection is a very important indicator of the quality of life and legal order in the country. "Citizens should have a clear idea of how they should make use of the declared opportunities and how this should lead to concrete results. For any business, the attitude towards the protection of consumer rights is already a sign of quality, which, of course, creates a very serious competitive advantage and is justified over those who do not particularly care about the protection of consumer rights.

I also want to emphasize the political significance of the field of consumer rights protection and competition, because ultimately being a consumer is also a choice, an everyday choice, just as as a citizen, a person votes for this or that political force during local government or national elections, in the same way in his daily activities he votes for this or that brand, for this or that service. And this is also a very important mechanism for setting the right incentives in the economy and forming the right motivations, which I also believe is essential for promoting economic development and effective management in the private sector," said Nikol Pashinyan.

According to the Prime Minister, one of the most important goals of competition is also that the field should be self-regulated in some way. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the Government’s duty is to create the most favorable, fair, and equal field possible, but according to the Prime Minister, the lack of risk perception, when a business entity or individual may feel that it is not their duty to ensure their success first and foremost, is one of the obstacles to economic development. “This is a very important nuance that is directly related to the protection of consumer rights, because yes, a business that does not have sufficient respect for the consumer, for the protection of consumer rights, that business should not exist as a result of the citizen’s vote. But on the other hand, we must also give these signals to both the public and business entities: why have we gathered with this respectable audience today and are discussing these topics? For one purpose - to send a clear message that yes, consumer rights, as an inalienable right of a person, a citizen, are in the focus of attention of the Government, our international partners, the legislative branch, and state bodies," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Speaking about the work carried out in the field of food production and consumption, Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of ensuring that all products are equivalent in their standard, quality criteria to the quality of products intended for export.

“This is also one of the important topics of our cooperation with international partners, including our cooperation with the European Union, so that we can, step by step, through our support programs, regulations, but also by forming a platform for the protection of consumer rights and promoting consumer activity, ensure that products that do not meet these export standards simply exit our market, simply cease to exist, not because the Government artificially prohibits their production, although in the event of a security threat, this should also be done, but because citizens make these decisions through their vote, through their choice.”

Nikol Pashinyan also added: “Yes, we must help all business entities to improve their quality, to better comply with the protection of consumer rights, to make consumers more active, more demanding, but on the other hand, those who do not meet these standards must exit the market, freeing up space for companies, services, production, and business in general that operate with higher standards.”

Expressing gratitude to those present, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of this day and noted that the protection of consumer rights is at the center of attention of the Government, the legislative branch, state bodies, and our international partners.