IRAE intensifies actions against economic offences
Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas reforça medidas de fiscalização na faina e comercialização do chicharro em São Miguel
Inspeção Regional das Atividades Económicas muda de instalações em Ponta Delgada
The constant changes in economic life and legal requirements affecting markets nowadays demand increasingly intensive supervision of the economy as a means of guaranteeing the legality of the actions of economic agents and the protection of public health and consumer safety.
The Regional Inspectorate of Economic Activities (IRAE) is a special inspection service responsible for ensuring compliance with all the rules governing economic activities. It is endowed with technical independence and autonomy in performing its duties. This entity holds regional authority powers for the inspection of economic activities.
As the entity supervising economic activities, IRAE operates throughout the Autonomous Region of the Azores under the direct authority of the Vice-Presidency of the Government.
The national entity responsible for risk assessment and communication in the food chain and the coordinating authority for official food control is ASAE - Economic and Food Safety Authority, established on January 1, 2006, under the administration of the Minister of Economy.
February 27, 2023
IRAE intensifies actions against economic offences
The Regional Inspectorate of Economic Activities (IRAE) has an operational plan underway to detect speculation practices, through the verification of compliance with the rules that must be observed in the marketing of goods in distribution chains as well as in formation and control of prices, so as to prevent speculation practices in the Region. In full compliance with its powers in the various areas of action, and particularly in the area of economic offences, IRAE will continue to pursue this operational plan throughout 2023, given the current inflation scenario. It should be noted that, last year, 11 investigation proceedings were opened for evidence of criminal offence involving speculation and 18 administrative offence proceedings regarding administrative offences such as lack of lists or tables containing the prices of various goods for sale to consumers, irregularities in price display, lack of price display per unit of measurement and unfair commercial practices. With regard to price control, IRAE has developed a regional operational plan, which ran from January 16 to 27, targeting reduced price sales, such as end-of-season sales, promotions and liquidations, and also the display of prices on various products. The inspection actions were carried out with economic operators on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira, Faial and Pico in order to verify the compliance with the legal provisions set out in Decree-Law 70/2007 of March 26, as amended, which defines commercial practices with price reductions in retail sales, and Decree-Law 138/90 of April 26, as amended, which regulates the mandatory indication of the prices of goods and services made available to consumers in the market. In this context, 253 inspection actions were carried out, leading to the identification of 15 administrative offences. The Regional Inspectorate of Economic Activities, within the scope of its competences, ensures that it will continue to remain closely attentive to eventual price speculation crimes in food and other goods, so as to guarantee fair commercial practices and safeguard consumers' rights.
November 14, 2021
Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas reforça medidas de fiscalização na faina e comercialização do chicharro em São Miguel
A Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas, em articulação com as entidades competentes, vai reforçar as medidas de vigilância e fiscalização da comercialização ilegal da venda de chicharro, de modo a minimizar os efeitos da economia paralela que se tem vindo a registar, particularmente na ilha de São Miguel. Os pescadores que se dedicam à captura do chicharro estão a confrontar-se com a não venda desta espécie descarregada em lota, essencialmente devido à fuga à lota, motivando uma profunda desregulação do mercado, provocando um desequilíbrio e limitações ao normal escoamento do chicharro. A Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas tem vindo a acompanhar a situação, tendo mantido contactos permanente com os armadores dos “chicharreiros”, em Rabo de Peixe, para auscultar e procurar soluções para a resolução do problema. De imediato, serão reforçadas as medidas de fiscalização da comercialização do chicharro, através da Inspeção Regional das Pescas, GNR, Polícia Marítima e Inspeção Regional das Atividades Económicas, por forma a combater a fuga à lota. Em análise estão igualmente algumas propostas suscitadas pelos armadores, entre as quais um maior controlo sobre as caixas do pescado e a presença de um observador a bordo das embarcações. Desde o passado dia 1 de novembro de 2021 e até à presente data, foram descarregados em lota 20.176,90 kg de chicharro, dos quais apenas 13.494,50 kg foram vendidos, sendo o valor restante rejeitado para aterro ou entregue a instituições de solidariedade social. Na ilha de São Miguel existem 13 embarcações licenciadas para a captura do chicharro.