Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Babayeva / Ramiz Hasanov, the director-general of the State Agency for Standardization, Metrology and Patent of Azerbaijan, reported that the Agency has proposed that the government increase fines with respect to enterprises who sell products of poor quality.
At present the fine given to large enterprises is very low, at only AZN 500. This minor amount is the major reason that makes the punishment ineffective. The Head of the Agency stated that increasing the fines will ensure that companies abide by the law.
Proposals include the confiscation of poor quality products in the amount of approximately AZN 100,000. A fine to the same amount will also be imposed upon this company. "In this situation, I do not think any company will take the risk," he noted.
Currently the government is considering the proposals by the State Agency which may be adopted within a month.
In 2006 the State Agency imposed fines on certain companies related to the food industry to the amount of AZN 100,000.