Government geared to end consumer exploitation
Minister of Industry and Trade Joseph Mwanamvekha said government has put in place measures to protect the consumers’ rights.
Mwanamvekha was speaking in Lilongwe this week when he officially opened the Sixth Annual African Consumer Protection Dialogue Conference.
He said government is aware of the challenges of consumer exploitation, hence the enacting of the Consumer Protection Act in 2003.
“This Act elaborates the rights that consumers have and the responsibility that every Malawian has towards the protection of the rights of consumers.
“For the problem of consumer exploitation to be history in Malawi, there is need for coordinated efforts from various stakeholders such as the civil society organisations, government and development partners,” he said.
Mwanamvekha said there is need to deal with counterfeit products that many African countries are grappling with.
Chairperson of Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC), Gerald Chigona, said globalisation and increased trends of cross-border trade in the past years has provided a breeding ground for cross-border violations of consumer interests.
He said a robust framework for international cooperation and information sharing is key to ensuring effective enforcement of cross-border consumer violation.
“This conference has come at an opportune time for the CFTC. We believe that there is a lot to learn from other authorities with a longer history of dealing with cross-border consumer violation,” he said.
The African Dialogue which was established in 2009, provides an opportunity to African governments, civil society organisations and the United States government to interface with each other and share best practices on the enforcement of consumer protection laws.—Mana
