All wineries banned in Baku

Ramiz Hasanov, Director General of the Azerbaijan State Agency for Standardization, Metrology and Patents (SASMP), is interviewed by APA.

If we try to apply international standards today, that is to say we are going to brake our industry. On the other hand, we can't absorb international standards through USSR-made technologies. We therefore plan to set up Standardization Institute. It will be a scientific research institute and will deal with application of standards. Azerbaijan State Agency for Standardization, Metrology and Patents will be a coordinating agency. The Standardization Institute will have 14mn books and other centers and institutes of the present Agency.

What percentage of the products meets international standards? In general, is it possible to collect some statistics on this sphere?

It is very difficult to collect any statistics. A few products meet international standards at present. We need some time to be able to apply international standards. International standards are only applied to a number spheres such as information technologies.

SASMP has control over production. What did you monitor in production?

Unfortunately, low-quality products are also on sale in the markets currently. Not all imports are of low-quality. It takes much time to monitor all production enterprises. Consumers should also play an important part in supervising the production. Both the sellers and buyers should be careful about the certificate of products. We found a firm producing Aroma juice in Baku under the brand of Turkey. We banned sale and production of this product after examination. But is I not enough. To close any enterprises is not effective. Of course, we also impose monetary penalties but the penalties are very low. The maximum penalty is AZN 500. We are studying international experiences in order to make the sanction heavier.

You monitored and check up fuel filling stations. What did you find?

We found lots of irregularities while monitoring. There were almost no problems with the quality of gasoline but we found irregularities with the quantity of the gasoline. They cheat the buyers. We found irregularities in almost 90% of the filling stations. There is no problem now. We check filling equipment and meters in the filling stations every three months. Monetary penalties of AZN 500 were imposed on the stations which committed irregularities.

Which sectors are you monitoring now?

We continue monitoring the sectors of foodstuffs. It was difficult to conduct examination before. But we set up 9 department of the Agency in Baku. We also dismissed a number of redundant employees.

We monitor and found irregularities. When the enterprises correct the irregularities, they restore their activities. We made 12-13 proposals to the Shollar Bottling, they corrected the shortcomings. We have to date examined 460 enterprises since early this year and banned production in 123 of them. Certificates were issued to 114 of them and others have 1-3 months to correct to irregularities. We have shut down foodstuff producers such s Muzaffar Gida-Sanaye Ltd., Baku-ker, Sherg Shirinyatlary, Sacial Tikinti OJSC, Ulugannadi and others.

As a citizen, do you prefer homemade or foreign products?

Personally, I fear to buy home-grown products on sale in the markets.

Some wineries are reported to be closed by the Agency.

Media report that we have allegedly shut down wineries and other vodka making factories. It is false information. We have also banned production of some products. How many kinds of wines are sold in markets? What were they made from? State Statistical and Customs Committees report that grave is not imported to Azerbaijan. They are made from some extracts and other substances. Only Ganja Winery is makes wine now. We have banned production of wine in other factories in Baku.

Population is dissatisfied with electric and gas meters. They claim they are nonstandard.

Various kinds of technological equipment is installed in enterprises making and importing meters. This equipment checks the meters. After check-up, we seal the meters. Some problems are possible while carrying and installing. We call on people to inform us of any kind of problems. Many appealed us and we checked and repaired the meters. Examinations proved that at least 10% of the electric meters of Barmek are non-standard.

An information center was reported to be created in the Agency due to the expected membership to the World Trade Organization.

We are discussing the issue with international organizations as well as within TACIS program. It is necessary to set up this center on the eve of access to the WTO. It will provide information and procedure about international standards. Consumers will be able to get information from the center or the website of the center.

Azerbaijan intends to join Madrid Protocol. What does it promise?

Milli Majlis discussed the membership of Azerbaijan to Madrid Protocol. We have already joined this protocol. Protocol is an essential instrument in trade mark protection and international registration of marks around the member countries. Other countries send their marks to us for registration and vice-versa. Customs duties should be paid during registration. We discussed the cooperation and conduct of trainings with Intellectual Property organization. Who ants to have their trade mark can appeal to us. We look it up throughout the world and register it if there is not the same mark.