Sound Market

The State Provincial Office supports the financial security of households by providing consumer information, by safeguarding adequate financial and debt counselling services, by assessing the access to indispensable commercial services, and by controlling economic competition.

The State Provincial Office promotes the legal protection of those using the services of estate agents and letting agencies, promotes efficient economic competition by examining and removing restrictive practices.

Tasks of the Competition and Consumer Department:

• Controlling competition and investigating competitive problems
• Consumer information (assessing the access to indispensable commercial services, ensuring of counselling for heavily indebted persons, financial counselling, consumer information)
• Monitoring of procedures related to business and industry (e.g., monitoring of estate and letting agencies, monitoring of product declarations and marketing of consumer credits, inspection of weights and measures, registration of package tour operators)