The General Office of the State Council issued a circular on April 27, approving proposed adjustments and improvements in the system of ministerial joint conference on protecting consumers’ rights and interests.
The adjustments and improvements are intended to better secure the legitimate rights and interests of consumers through enhanced organization and coordination at the ministerial level, said the circular.
The joint conference will be responsible for implementing decisions of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council concerning consumer protection, coordinating overall work for such protection across the country, and studying related major policies and measures and promoting their implementation.
To ensure related departments fulfill their duties for safeguarding the rights and interests of consumers, the conference should provide better guidance and supervision.
In solving significant problems in the protection of consumers’ rights and interests and consumer-related cases, the conference should serve as a coordinator and organizer, especially targeting hot issues that involve the infringement of consumer rights and irregularities. And it should publicize more laws, regulations and policies designed for consumer protection.
The joint conference consists of 26 ministries and units, with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) being the leading body. Assigned clear responsibilities, they should carefully execute tasks required by the conference, study and improve related policies and measures, and make suggestions for greater consumer protection.
Scheduled or unscheduled meetings will be held as needed. Matters agreed on at the meetings should be stipulated in minutes and released to departments concerned, and important ones should be reported for approval as per due procedures.
Based at SAMR, the joint conference office assumes its routine work, overseeing whether matters agreed on by the conference are carried out, and reporting updates to those ministries and units in a timely manner.
