BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. The Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan, together with the Prosecutor General's Office, and interested state and local executive bodies, has developed legislative amendments to modernize markets, Trend reports via the ministry.
According to the ministry, norms have been included in the bill "On the introduction of amendments and additions to certain legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on implementation of certain Presidential instructions", which is under consideration by the Parliament of Kazakhstan.
The developed norms have envisaged:
1) vesting the market owner with personal responsibility for organizing trade;
2) establishment of qualification and infrastructure requirements for markets;
3) creation of an information system that will ensure competitive and free access of domestic producers to retail outlets.
The legislative amendments were the result of the monitoring of 122 markets carried out by the Prosecutor General's Office from March through May this year. The monitoring revealed numerous systemic problems in the operation of retail facilities, including the lack of regulation of the activities of the owners and administration of markets.
Besides, during the monitoring, high rental rates for a trading place (up to 15,000 tenge or $31.1 per day); and imposition of affiliated suppliers for the provision of additional services (certification tests, packaging, transportation, and others) by the market administration were identified.
Cases of creation of an artificial shortage of goods and manipulation of prices by the market participants have been also recorded, added the ministry.