Almaty is seeing a rise in cases where residents are pressured into paying for gas equipment inspections under threats of fines. The city's Industrial Safety Department reported numerous complaints about such companies, according to infohub.kz.
At a press conference at the Regional Communications Service, Dauren Dyusekenov, head of the department's division for state control and supervision of boiler houses and gas facilities, explained that maintenance of gas-consuming systems — especially flue ducts and in-building gas equipment — may only be carried out by certified organizations.
"Today there are a great many such organizations across Kazakhstan. In any case, a contract must be signed, and after signing it, the organizations carrying out the inspection must issue an inspection report and provide their price list. As for prices, each organization sets its own, since this is a competitive market. You can turn to any other organization. You are not obliged to use the company that comes to you and offers to carry out repairs, inspections and so on," Dyusekenov said.
After the work is completed, he noted, residents should check the quality of the work and materials and, if necessary, decide whether to continue working with the company.
"We receive a great many complaints about organizations that show up uninvited, push their services and so on. In such cases, if you come under psychological pressure or are threatened with fines, you can call law enforcement and have the situation clarified on the spot. Because a great many complaints are specifically about organizations that impose their services. That's the first point. Second, you have the right to demand documents from the organization — whether it is authorized to carry out this work, that is, whether it holds a certificate for maintenance of gas-consuming systems. Third, the company's employee must present an ID confirming that he represents the company," the speaker stressed.
He added that the Almaty Emergency Situations Department carries out control and supervision of industrial organizations, while in-building gas equipment falls under the city's Department of Municipal Infrastructure and Housing Policy. If consumers have questions or disputes regarding the activities of companies providing equipment inspection and repair services, they can contact that department.