Government cannot guarantee high quality of goods

The government should give the people guarantees of the safety of goods, but it cannot guarantee their (high) quality. Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Arkady Dvorkovich voiced this opinion at a news conference, devoted to the role of quality of products in the creation of a brand name. The government should only create the conditions for healthy market competition for companies, and a consumer should be free to choose products of desired quality. A stable quality of products under a specific brand name is a more important aspect, Dvorkovich believes.

At the same time Natalya Volkova, an advisor to the staff of the State Duma, remarked at the same news conference that one could speak about a brand name only after a product has gained some reputation among consumers. For example, the governments of Japan, the USA and some other countries regulate the quality of products on the basis of approved standards. The Russian law on technical regulation provides for the development of over 500 standards for different groups of products, and in accordance with the law on the rights of consumers, manufacturers are required to provide the public with accurate information on ingredients, quality and shelf life of their products.