World Consumer Day: Let's expedite action on Consumer Protection Bill – Kapito

The Consumer Protection Agency has reiterated calls for the passage of the Consumer Protection Bill.

The Bill is currently before the House of Legislature, and seeks to protect the rights of consumers in the country.

Speaking on the occasion of World Consumer Day, today, Wednesday, 15 March 2023, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CPA, Kofi Kapito, noted that Ghana, will adopt the theme for this year’s celebration to create awareness to push for the passage of the Bill.

“’Clean Energy Transition’, it is a concern but we don’t have any consumer bill passed yet.

“So we’re going to adapt and use it as a campaign to create awareness for consumers to push for the passage of the consumer bill which is very important,” Mr Kapito stated.

The Consumer document was recently taken to Parliament by caretaker Minister for Trade, Abu Jinapor.

Mr Kapito acknowledged the efforts of the Minister and the former Minister, Alan Kyerematen.

He indicated that, Ghanaians travel abroad and enjoy consumer protection and, thus, Ghana must ensure that its consumers are protected also.

“This year we want to make it a campaign through various stakeholders, [let] the media promote and let Ghanaians know that we need to pass the consumer bill. We cannot have a country where globally we’ve signed on to all sorts of agreements that should necessitate or make it possible for us to be able to enjoy the rights that a lot of consumers enjoy worldwide,” he stated.

Explaining what goes into consumer protection he said “Return policy, exchange, contracts that people don’t even adhere to, goods and services delivery, all these things [are] what we’re talking about. We travel outside we enjoy, because they’ve made it possible for the passage of their consumer bill so that even we Ghanaians we go outside and we enjoy”.

Mr Kapito further noted that consumers have a responsibility too.

“Consumers also have a responsibility which is being able to determine whether what you’re getting into is safe or not which is what is called ‘Customer Beware’. Consumers should always know that the responsibility also lies on them.

“If you go and you see a rotten tomato on the floor and you say it’s cheap and you’ll buy and then you go home and you get into all kinds of complications, you can’t really blame people that much because you did not educate yourself,” he cautioned.

Mr Kapito also revealed the setting up of a complaints unit, as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for consumer-related issues instead of going through the courts.

“We launched a complaints unit in attachment to the ADR, which is Alternative Dispute Resolution, which will take a lot of cases [that does not need to be taken] to the court but will be settled amicably so that everybody will be happy. Consumers demand for the passage of the Consumer Protection Bill to be passed,” he noted.

He, therefore, urged all Ghanaians to join in the call for the bill to be passed.

March 15 marks World Consumer Day globally.

It is a day set aside to see to the welfare of the consumer.

The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Global Celebration of the World Consumer Day and Empowering Consumers Through Clean Energy Transition.’