2016 World Consumer Rights Day Commemoration

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The Competition and Fair Trading Commission, a government agency mandated to safeguard competition and protect consumers from unfair trading practices, will on 15^th March 2016 commemorate World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD).

 

The WCRD falls on 15^th March of every year and is an annual occasion for celebration and solidarity within the international consumer movement on which participants observe the day by promoting the basic rights of all consumers, demanding that those rights are respected and protected.

 

The main events to commemorate the Day in Malawi will be a Consumers' Parade under the theme "Consumer Justice Now" which will be held in Balaka. Other activities will include drama, music, poetry, traditional dances, speeches and a competitive football match between local rivals.

 

Presiding over the event will be District Commissioner for Balaka, Mr Rodrick Mateauma and CFTC Executive Director, Charlotte Wezi Malonda.

 

Speaking ahead of the Day, Malonda said the CFTC recognises the important role that consumers play in the economy, hence the choice of the theme "Consumer Justice Now".

 

Said Malonda:

"Consumers create effective demand that induces productive sectors of the economy. Without consumers, there would be no production in the economy. This is the reason why we must join hands and lobby tirelessly for consumer justice across the country.

 

"Our campaign for consumer justice would be in vain if consumers themselves do not take a lead in safeguarding their rights. The process of safeguarding one's rights begins with awareness about the available mechanisms for reporting and penalizing infringement."

 

This year's theme was selected due to the increasing number of consumer rights violations, many of which go unreported due to lack of awareness.

Notes for Editors

1. CFTC is an autonomous agency of the government mandated to regulate, monitor, control and prevent acts or behaviour which are likely to adversely affect competition and fair trading in Malawi.

 

2. The CFTC is established under the laws of Malawi to enforce the Competition and Fair Trading Act and the Consumer Protection Act. It is dedicated to improving the efficiency of Malawi’s economy for the benefit of its consumers and all its people. This is done in four ways:

• • Monitoring of mergers and acquisitions of companies.
  • Taking corrective action against abuse of dominance.
  • Prohibiting anti-competitive practices by enterprises against each other.
  • Taking corrective action against enterprises that create unfair trading conditions for the consumer.

3. Historically, on March 15, 1962, President John F. Kennedy presented a speech to the United States Congress in which he extolled four basic consumer rights, later called theConsumer Bill of Rights. The United Nations through the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection expanded these into eight rights, and thereafter Consumers International adopted these rights as a charter and started recognising March 15 as World Consumer Rights Day.

 Contacts for the Press Release

Innocent HelemaTel: 01759506 / 0881 33 80 17                      

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