Paulina Quintao – Dili resident Rosaria Martins da Cruz urges the national parliament to create a consumer protection law to regulate the import of foods into the country.

"The food we eat contains chemicals that lead to chronic diseases so the government has to create legislation that controls food imports," said resident da Cruz at the National Parliament in Dili. "Currently we have Timorese people aged in their 40s (for women) and 60s (for men) dying."

She also urged the establishment of a food laboratory to test all imported food and that domestic food production increases to ensure food nutrition and safety for people's health.

She also urged the National Parliament to draft articles that force imported foods from using foreign languages that are not understood by the Timorese.

"We have to ban labels that use foreign languages for instance some labels are written all in Chinese with a picture of a Chicken but we do not understand what we read but buy because it is cheaper," she added.

Meanwhile Member of the National Parliament MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said Commission D (for Economy and Development affairs) has drafted a Consumer Protection Law No.6/III that is scheduled to be discussed at the plenary of the parliament.

She said, the context of the law is excellent and provides for sanctions to be applied to producers and importers of poor quality food that is harmful to people's health. "Consumers will also have the right to return food and get compensated for it," added the MP.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/capital/13254-community-urges-consumer-protection-law