Expert accuses Armenian state agencies of overlooking human-centered approach in consumer protection

World Consumer Rights Day, marked annually on March 15, went unnoticed in Armenia this year, highlighting the indifference of state agencies toward consumer rights and interests.

While the Competition Protection Commission organized an event attended by representatives from legislative and executive bodies, inspection agencies and public figures, there was a clear absence of focus on consumer issues.

“In international practice, World Consumer Rights Day is usually preceded and followed by awareness weeks. That didn’t happen in Armenia. Inspection agencies and state commissions should explain why they neglected their core mission,” Babken Pipoyan, head of the Informed and Protected Consumer NGO, told Panorama.am in an interview on Tuesday.

Pipoyan, who attended the event, noted that while the Competition Protection Commission seemed interested in addressing consumer concerns, other agencies appeared to attend the event simply for the sake of participation.

The Competition Protection Commission has recently assumed the role of the central body responsible for consumer protection in Armenia. However, Pipoyan stressed that this does not absolve inspection agencies from their responsibility to ensure consumer safety.

“Rather than prioritizing a human-centered approach, state agencies remain focused on avoiding reprimands,” Pipoyan said.

He claimed that a lack of proper oversight had led to serious consequences, questioning whether the high COVID-19 death toll could have been avoided with better state services, if road accident casualties would decrease with improved transportation infrastructure and if the Surmalu shopping center explosion and deaths from homemade alcohol poisoning could have been prevented with more effective regulation.

“These issues affect not just consumer convenience but also human life and health,” Pipoyan emphasized.