The Ministry of Industry and Trade has selected nine projects focused on consumer protection which will be supported by the Ministry in 2012. In addition to direct help to consumers it will focus on testing products, education and cooperation with business associations.
The projects were selected by an independent commission consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism and the Czech Chamber of Commerce. The precise amounts of support for individual projects will be known by the end of February 2012 in accordance with the rules for support.
Alongside consulting and support to consumers who are already in disputes with retailers, a large portion of supported projects will focus on prevention – meaning education in the area of consumer rights and also financial literacy, now starting already in primary schools. The supported projects received good evaluations primarily due to well-set goals they want to achieve. One condition for the provision of a subsidy refers to the fulfilment of goals of the project and the effective use of the subsidy funds in the past year, if a non-government nonprofit organisation obtained a support earlier.
Support will be provided to the following projects:
- "CCA Comprehensive services – for consumers and a fair market" of the civic association Czech Consumer Association
- "Consumer consulting" of the civic association National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
- "Parents understand money" of the civic association AISIS, o.s
- "Educating students of social work in the area of consumer protection and improving the financial literacy of citizens through the internet application Debt Labyrinth" of the civic association Remedium Praha
- "Comprehensive resolution of the themes of consumer protection with a view to improving competitiveness in the business sector" of the civic association South Moravian Consumer Protection Association
- "Consumer diary and financial education for primary and secondary schools" of the civic association Generation Europe
- "You are not alone – why not to sign a contract that I do not understand…" of the civic association Český Krumlov civil sector information centre
- "Consumer rights in practice" of the TEST consumer association
- "dTEST magazine – more independent information for consumers" of the TEST consumer association
