Treat customers with utmost dignity, businesses told
INDUSTRY and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza, has directed producers and traders to embrace fair business practices and treat their customers with dignity in line with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act.
President Mnangagwa launched the Consumer Protection Act in October 2021 as part of Government efforts to promote a fair, accessible, and sustainable marketplace for products and services while improving the relationship between consumers and businesses.
By establishing the Consumer Protection Commission, the Act provides for the regulation of consumer advocacy organisations as well as the enforcement mechanism of consumer rights. These include the right to choose a product or service, the right to safety and health, product information, and pricing, as well as the right to be heard and dispute resolution, among others.
In a speech read on her behalf yesterday by Permanent Secretary, Dr Mavis Sibanda, to commemorate World Consumer Rights, Dr Nzenza, said the business community should adhere to the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, which aims to tackle market malpractices, which have the effect of undermining the rights of consumers.
She said buyers of products and services must be educated about business rights so that they are empowered to make a decision in the marketplace and avoid being taken advantage of.
“Let’s remember the old adage that the ‘customer is the king’. Why kill the goose that lays the golden eggs? Let’s strive to ensure that buyers of goods and services are treated with utmost dignity by businesses,” said Dr Nzenza.
“As you are aware, Government is there to create a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive, and therefore we want to ensure that we work together, educating businesses about their obligations in the marketplace under the Consumer Protection Act,” she said.
“The penalties in the new consumer law are, therefore, not there to punish business but to create a level playing field where both business and consumers are protected by law.
“It is, therefore, our hope that businesses will familiarise themselves with the provisions of the law, for the creation of a better society for us all, which is in line with the country’s vision of having an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030.”
This year’s event is being held under the theme: “Empowering Consumers through Clean Energy Transitions”, which resonates well with the country’s socio-economic development agenda under the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1.
National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1)
It is also in sync with the National Renewable Energy Policy (NREP), which was developed under the overall framework laid out by the National Energy Policy of 2012.
Dr Nzenza encouraged all stakeholders to take heed of President Mnangagwa’s directive to undertake thorough consumer protection awareness programmes across the country to ensure far-reaching awareness of the provision of the Act, which is critical for the empowerment of consumers.
President Mnangagwa
She challenged the Consumer Protection Commission to accelerate the development of a communication strategy that utilises multiple media platforms, including electronic, print, and digital to ensure that the Consumer Protection Act is fully understood by all our citizens, including the marginalised and vulnerable groups.
The minister said Government has already facilitated the translation of the Consumer Protection Act into Shona, Ndebele and Braille with efforts being made to cover the remaining languages.
She appealed to other regulatory bodies to also work closely the Consumer Protection Commission in scaling up consumer awareness campaigns to empower ordinary people in communities.
When fully informed, Dr Nzenza said consumers can raise their voices and take legal action against any product or service purchase that goes against their rights.-chronicle.cl.z
