Business fines for not setting up origin flags

This decision, which entered into force six months ago, had obliged business subjects to place the product origin flag so that consumers could be informed of the origin of the goods they buy.

Market inspector under the Ministry of Trade and Industry Lulzim Syla tells Radio Free Europe that the decision to set up origin flags is being respected at high percentages by businesses, but that there are still cases when some business subjects fail to implement such a decision.

“Seting product origin flags is being realised as a process at close to 100 percent. We, during the week, have had additional inspections throughout the territory of Kosovo, we have encountered some businesses that haven't put up flags, and we, like inspectors, have taken measures and economic businesses have fined them. As far as the number is concerned, there are over 30 businesses that have been convicted and some of them are sent to court”, says Syla.

He adds that the fine for business subjects, which do not place product origin flags or for exchange of product origin flags, is from 1,000 euros to 20,000 euros.

Long ago Radio Free Europe had recorded a case at a shop in Pristina when Kosovo's flag was set on the product, which was inside international but produced in Serbia.

For all such cases, Syla says that necessary actions have been taken.

When we encountered a number of flag changes, we sent cases to competent courts. We've been helped a lot by the media and consumers who just encountered these cases have warned us and we've taken the necessary measures”, Syla explains.

The administrative guidance for setting product origin flags was in force shortly after the introduction of a 100 per cent tax on products originating from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The 100 percent tax is still in force. The Kosovo government, so far, has not backed down on this decision even after many demands from the European Union and the United States of America on suspending or canceling this tax.

Kosovo Business Alliance Chairman Agim Sahini tells Radio Free Europe that the noncompliance of the state flag with product origin has most often occurred when it comes to products from Serbia.

However, according to him, the decision to set product origin flags has had a major impact on the market. He says consumers are now more aware of whose products they consume.

“From the research we did on the market, we found that the decision to set flags has had an effect as much as 100 percent of the products from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have had. This has made citizens, who in the past have taken the product without reading it from where it originated, now we see it when they get it. This has influenced citizens to become conscious and buy local products. Traders are in some cases trying to counterfeit some products by placing them near the flags of other countries. There are times when the Albanian state flag is placed on products of another country”, Sahin says.

Under the management directive of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the product's origin flag should be placed on the left side of the sale price or price price for entities no longer than one centimeter from the product price.

The size of the flag indicating the origin of the product must be proportional to the price of the product.