Business • February 1 2004

Government working hard to safeguard the consumers’ rights –Dalli

The fact that a country’s economic success depends on how well the internal market satisfies the customers’ demands is a well-known fact. In fact, the laws that legislate the market focus on the safeguarding of consumers’ rights. It is by being aware of these consumer rights an entrepreneur can be aware of his duties in the market and what is expected of him.
Until a few years ago the Government controlled Malta’s internal market, and at the time the Government itself was the priority. The present Government, liberalised the market and the priority is no longer the Government but consumer rights. This liberalisation process is ongoing and includes market responsibilities. It is for this reason that today’s economy is based on a fundamental principle – that of Fair Competition.
These were the points emphasised upon by Finance and Economic Affairs Minister John Dalli this week during his visit to the Consumer and Competition Division in Sta. Venera. The Director General of this Department, Marcel Pizzuto, gave more detail about the work being carried out at this Department.
Dalli went on to say that the Government is working to instil a culture where Fair Competition is the fundamental principle. The consumers’ rights are already protected by a number of laws, however there still is a lot to be done before every institution, commercial entity, Department and Authority has an entrepreneurial mentality based on the concept that the primary duty is to provide a good and efficient service.
Government services are not free because they are paid for out of people’s taxes, and for this reason any service rendered by a Government Department should be efficient. Consumer rights cannot be limited to the relationship between the consumer and the shopkeeper, but must also be extended to all the services that are offered, so that these may be more efficient.
The Minister said that he is satisfied with the work that has already been carried out, and with the organisation of this Division. He said that he is also satisfied that with the objectives that Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo is giving to this Division, the work carried out will have a direction that complements the laws that are being safeguarded. In this way all the officers and workers within this division form an integral part of the structure that the Government is strengthening in order to provide a better service to the internal market.
Other Government Departments will also be managed in the same way. They will publish their objectives and this will allow their productivity, efficiency and effectiveness to be assessed.
In the meeting that Minister John Dalli had with the officers and workers of the Consumer and Competition Division, Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo presented the objectives that this Division will be working to implement in co-ordination with the Malta Standards Authority and the Commerce Division. These entities are working to form the structures that will allow the Government to provide an efficient service and organise the internal market.