LabMin Turcan, appeal to local authorities regarding vulnerable consumer law: Rapid intervention needed

Minister of Labor Raluca Turcan appealed to the associative structures of the local authorities for a coordination of efforts with the ministry, so that the Vulnerable Consumer Law become enforceable starting November 1. "I sent a letter both to you, to Mr. Boc, to Mr. Teban, in which you are informed, as representatives of associative structures, about the way in which we must join efforts, so that this law becomes enforceable starting November 1, because the situation is grave. I say it with my hand on my heart. There are people with low income, who are at risk of energy poverty and who need the enforcement of this law. The territorial-administrative units are those that must collaborate. Firstly - with our structures in the territory, through which we will send the information to the potential beneficiaries. But you have to communicate to the people what the law is, what the eligibility caps are, to make some standardized request forms, to accept the forms at the mayoralty, sort the forms, communicate with energy suppliers and then this subsidy can be discounted by us, at the Labor Ministry," said Turcan, at the start of the Council of Local Authorities from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The Minister emphasized the importance of the law of the vulnerable consumer, in the context of price increases in foodstuffs and energy, but emphasized that rapid intervention is necessary, so that people "in dire need" can benefit rapidly from the provisions of the normative act. "Why do I believe we need an emergency command? At least we, at the Labor Ministry, after the law was moved up - by the vote of all, parties and MPs - if we do not create these structures for command and rapid intervention, we risk people in dire need having expectations from the state and not receiving the support they need," said Turcan. AGERPRES (RO - author: Irinela Visan, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Simona Iacob)