Ghana yesterday observed the world consumer rights day in Accra with a call on government to urgently pass the Consumer Protection policy into law before the end of the year.
The Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International, who made the call is demanding that government quickly gives timelines towards the passage of the law, or it would mobilise Ghanaians to picket at the offices of the Attorney General and the Finance ministry.
It asked the Ministry of Trade and Industry to finalise the document, the Attorney General department to finalise the drafting, cabinet to approve the draft, and the Ministry of Finance to provide every financial consideration required for parliament to pass the law before the end of the year.
Mr. Kofi Kapito, Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) said the absence of the consumer protection law made it difficult for the country to protect consumers and advocate their rights.
“Because the country lacks the enabling laws for consumer protection, Ghana has literally become the junkyard for inferior goods from Asia and other parts of the world.
He noted that everyone was a consumer and the government was required to act on the good interest of the people and protect them.
“As you make your ways to the shops across the country, one notices that what you will come across is goods sold are not returnable, and for a manufacturer or merchant to say goods sold are not returnable, it means the goods are inferior and are not fit,” he said.
Mr. Kapito said it was disheartening the ‘trotro’ pace at which the government was handling the process, as its lack of interest in the law have stalled the progress.
“The New Patriotic Party (NPP) then in opposition promised Ghanaians that they would pass the law in their manifesto, but regrettably, with more than 15 months in power, there have not been any progress in that regard,” he said.
He stressed that Ghana cannot wait any further, and the Consumer Protection Law must be passed into law now.
The CUTS Ghana Centre Coordinator, Mr. Appiah Kusi Adomako, explained that the provision on the consumer protection law would facilitate the establishment of a national consumer protection commission to solidly protect the public.
The policy was according to him drafted over ten years ago and had still not been passed into law due to lack of commitments of successive governments.
Mr. Adomako launched CUTS International petition to get about 2,000 Ghanaians to sign and demand for the passage of the Consumer Protection Law and urged all to come on board and sign the petition.
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