CONSUMER MARKET PROTECTION AS A SOCIAL FACTOR IN ENSURING ECONOMIC SECURITY OF CUSTOMERS BY THE STATE

Abstract

The mechanism of state control of product quality as a factor of customers protection is considered. The legal status of the customer at the present stage of formation of market economy is characterized. A number of problems have been identified related to non-compliance of products with consumer requirements. Measures are proposed to increase the efficiency of the mechanism of state control over the quality of goods and services in the field of consumer market protection. The reasons are named concerning the activities of producers, trade and service organizations, as well as other entrepreneurs, that using their positions in the consumer market, violate the rights and interests of customers, offering them products with obvious and hidden shortcomings, with surrogates and expired expiration date as well as with unreliable information on the composition, basic properties, manufacturer, etc. It is shown that state quality regulation in developed countries is carried out consistently and strictly, which is just as necessary for Ukraine, but due to the actions of lobbyists from particular industries is constantly declining. It is shown that some control and supervisory functions of the liquidated state control bodies in Ukraine were transferred to the State Food and Consumer Service of Ukraine, which is subordinated to the Ministry of Economics and performs control and supervisory functions over the implementation of laws in the field of consumer rights protection, observance of the sanitary legislation and rules of sale, mostly for food or identical products. However, the mentioned service is prohibited from making control purchases, which significantly limits the implementation of control and supervisory functions. The consequence of such a "diversity" of responsibilities inevitably lead to numerous (conscious or unconscious) mistakes that result in their weakening as well as unsatisfactory condition of consumer goods quality in the national market. It is concluded that the implementation of the state control reform in the field of consumer market can take place in the following areas: elimination and prevention in the future of ineffective duplication of powers and actions of relevant regulatory authorities; formalization of the procedure for conducting inspections, including the creation of a clear scale of fines and penalties, as well as transparency in the application of other types of sanctions; creation of a test laboratories network in each region; creation of open regional information-analytical systems or centers; creating opportunities for non-governmental (consumer) control in the market, provided that the possibility of harm to honest market participants is excluded.