The Ministry of Trade and Industry’s lack of interest is the reason given by two civil society organizations, CUTS International and the Consumer Protection Agency, for their grave worries regarding the protracted passage of the Consumer Protection Bill. Without prompt action, the law may not be passed during the current Parliament’s term, according to the CUTS and the agency. Ghana began the process of drafting a consumer protection law in 2005, however despite this time, 19 years have passed and the paper has not advanced.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, CUTS International’s CEO, Koffi Kapito, and Director of the West African Regional Center, Appiah Kusi Adomako, voiced their anger at the delays. The CEO of the organization pleaded with K. T. Hammond, the Minister of Trade and Industry, to finalize the draft bill as soon as possible. In addition, he demanded that the required stakeholder consultations be carried out, stressing how critical it is to give the bill’s introduction to Parliament first priority when it meets again the following month.
He claimed that the country’s pervasive and intentional violations of consumers’ rights were partly caused by the lack of a Consumer Protection Law.
Mr. Kapito clarified that consumer rights were fundamental human rights that the state was obligated to uphold, defend, and advance by passing legislation and enforcing it. According to him, the law has been on the list of bills that Parliament is supposed to consider since 2017.
A Consumer Protection Law would give many people and citizens the necessary legal framework to stop suffering from subpar products, dishonest marketing, unfair pricing, and other unethical company practices. Mr. Adomako emphasized that the law would face a significant setback in the future if it was not approved by the current Parliament.
He continued, saying it was concerning that, despite the Corporate Restructuring Law’s protection of companies against liquidity, there were no rules safeguarding the rights of consumers.
SOURCE https://dew360.net
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