CONSUMERS’ RIGHTS MUST BE “RESPECTED”
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[04:52 pm] 25 April, 2006
“The boycott against Turkish goods is the matter of an Armenian’s
dignity,” says the RA Consumers’ Union chairman Armen Poghosyan and
appeals to the Armenian consumers, “Let us respect ourselves and buy
home products.”
In Mr. Poghosyan’s opinion this is a policy and it resembles the
Turkish act of boycotting against French goods in response to the
recognition of the Armenian genocide. Armen Poghosyan deems his appeal
a political one, as Turkish goods are harmful for health.
The RA Quality Board checked 103 Turkish goods considering them
harmless for health. The chairman of the NGO “Consumers’ Rights
Protection” Abgar Eghoyan is not a supporter of the Turkish goods
boycott though their survey revealed that out of 9 Turkish goods
4 contain colibacillus, for example the chocolate “Tofita.” Abgar
Eghoyan claims that the boycott will give nothing but negative and
direct impact on the Armenian consumers having average income.
It is due to mention that Armen Poghosyan who is an adherent of
the motto “not Turkish goods” is not against the Armenian – Turkish
frontier opening as in his words economic bounders cannot be closed;
“They must be protected as accurately as possible”
By the way, this doesn’t give ground for the consumer not to care for
the quality of local goods and public services. There is no datum on
the product quality in the 64% of local goods.
According to the roundtable participants, the Armenian consumer is
not protected. This is determined by the fact that “manufacturers are
in close relations with the legislative and executive bodies.” The
organizations protecting consumers’ rights cannot punish the
irresponsible manufacturer, they can only “divulge their steps.”