The Committee for Competition Development and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan has initiated changes in the retail trade rules aimed at regulating promotions and discounts. The proposed measures are designed to protect consumers ' rights and prevent unfair practices in the market, including artificially inflating prices with subsequent fictitious reduction during sales.
The draft amendments have been submitted for public discussion and contain clear definitions of key concepts. The promotion should be interpreted as an offer on special terms to attract customers. The discount price must be reduced compared to the previous one, and the "before discount" price must be documented and the lowest in the last 30 days. Price tags will be issued according to the established sample with a mandatory indication of the final cost of the product without additional conditions.
Sellers will be able to continue using promotions and discounts to promote sales, but the new rules will not apply to alcoholic products, including beer and wine, tobacco products and devices for tobacco and nicotine consumption.
Among the mandatory conditions for holding promotions, it is proposed to fix the following provisions::
- the discount price must be based solely on the lowest price in the last 30 days;
- information about promotions must be sent to the tax authorities at least 10 days before they start.;
- it is forbidden to inflate the price before announcing a discount;
- sellers are required to provide complete, reliable and understandable information about the promotion parameters, including terms, conditions and a list of products;
— all declared discounts, bonuses and privileges must be provided in full;
- the discount amount is clearly indicated, and at the request of the consumer, information about the previous price is provided.
Additionally, sellers will be required to ensure that full information about the terms and conditions of the promotion, the purchase conditions, and the list of promotional items is available. You can't change the terms of the promotion after it starts. There is an obligation to guarantee the availability of promotional goods in sufficient quantity for the entire period of validity of the offer. In cases of restrictions on the quantity of goods or features (for example, an expired shelf life, incomplete set, damaged packaging), this information must be brought to the attention of the consumer.
The project pays special attention to the requirements for processing personal data of customers. Sellers will be required to inform consumers about the purposes and conditions of processing personal information within the framework of promotions.
Violation of the established requirements will be considered as a violation of the trading rules and will result in liability measures in accordance with the law. Discussion of the draft amendments will last until July 5.
