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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Availability of information to enable better consumer protection

Nis, 15 March 2007

Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Services Bojan Dimitrijevic stated today that the most important task of the National Consumer Protection Programme for the period 2007 – 2012 is the education of consumers and availability of information on their rights and ways to exercise them.

At the opening of a scientific meeting on better consumer protection, held at the Faculty of Economics in Nis on occasion of the World Consumer Day, Dimitrijevic said that state organs, the economy and independent consumer organisations must cooperate with each other.

He said that the National Consumer Protection Programme, adopted by the government on January 18, envisages that a network of advisory centres be set up in Serbia through which local organisations for consumer protection may share information.

According to Dimitrijevic, four advisory bodies are to be formed in the course of 2007 and six more centres in the period 2008 – 2012. He also added that one of the priorities is the establishing of an information centre which will be financed by the EU with approximately €2 million.

The Minister explained that the passing of the National Investment Plan is one of preconditions for the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) as the whole economic policy is based on protection of consumer rights.

Serbia is obliged to put its standards in line with those from Europe, Dimitrijevic said and added that the Ministry is making efforts to join the EU programmes to get support.

He said that much has been done in this field by passing appropriate laws and provisions in the Constitution and highlighted that priorities are amending the Law on consumer protection as well as launching a special magazine in cooperation with publishing house Pregled.

The Minister announced that an SMS programme through Telekom Srbija and Telenor mobile networks will be launched next week in cooperation with the Consumer Protection Council to adequately inform consumers.