Service given more powers to protect consumers

Cabinet on Friday approved a bill allowing the consumer protection service to issue fines in cases of violation of relevant legislation.

The service will also be able to file applications to court for the issuance of prohibition decrees in cases of infringement.

According to an announcement by the ministry of energy, commerce and industry, the bill unifies seven existing laws regulating issues of protection of financial interests of consumers.

Other provisions of the bill include banning the immediate suspension of the collection of the fine in case of an appeal as well as ensuring the possibility for consumers to file a lawsuit for compensation.

Part of the new bill is also the increased obligations on the seller to include the pre-discounted price of goods during sales along with the discounted price to limit misleading advertising.

Another obligation is for service providers to display the pricing of the main services they provide.

The new bill, approved following a proposal by Energy Minister Natasa Pilidou, will help the service to effectively enforce the legislation, the ministry said.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.