Georgia’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Davit Songhulashvili, participated in the opening ceremony of the 4th International Consumer Protection Week.

During his speech, the minister spoke about ongoing reforms within the ministry aimed at strengthening consumer rights protection.

“The policy and action plan of the Ministry and its departments are focused on creating a system that ensures a high level of public satisfaction. Food safety, veterinary medicine, and plant protection are united by one main goal – providing consumers with safe food,” Songhulashvili said.

According to him, consumers are now better protected, as businesses are informed about state requirements based on international standards and a state control system is already in place. He noted that the government aims to establish standards at all stages of production to ensure the reliability and competitiveness of products made in Georgia.

“Our ambition is for the consumer market to be supplied only with safe food,” the minister stated.

Songhulashvili also addressed efforts to reduce plastic use, the action plan for the sustainable use of pesticides, regulations on atmospheric air protection, and ongoing reforms aimed at simplifying service procedures within the ministry.

“Service procedures have been simplified as part of the ongoing reform, and we are working on even more flexible mechanisms that will be implemented in the near future. Protecting consumer rights is our shared responsibility, and our main goal is to achieve a high level of public trust and satisfaction,” he added.

The opening event was attended by about 200 participants, including representatives of the executive and legislative branches, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, international partners, and field experts.

The IV International Consumer Protection Week is organized by several Georgian institutions, including the Competition and Consumer Protection Agency of Georgia, Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission, Georgian National Communications Commission, National Bank of Georgia, State Insurance Supervision Service of Georgia, and the National Food Agency of Georgia.