By HELEN ZULU –
THE Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has seized expired products worth approximately K1,000 from various shops at Chadiza District Market in Eastern Province.
CCPC public relations officer Hanford Chaaba said a combined team of CCPC and Chadiza District public health office seized the expired products from various shops at the district market.
Mr Chaaba said the products included expired sanitary pads, bathing soaps, biscuits, shoe polish, tooth paste and assorted drinks.
He said the sanitary pads without manufacturing and expiry dates contributed over 90 per cent of the products seized, a situation which was worrying as the product hinges on the hygiene of the consumers.
Mr Chaaba said this in a statement released in Lusaka last week.
“A combined team of CCPC and Chadiza District public health office has seized expired products worth approximately K1,000 from various shops at the district market,” he said.
Mr Chaaba said the team was, however, happy with the corporation from traders in the district which made it possible to identify the supplier of the sanitary pads who was said to be located outside Chadiza District.
He further appealed to members of the public to check for expiry dates and general information of the products to avoid consuming products that might endanger their lives.
Meanwhile, Chief Zingalume of Chadiza expressed satisfaction that consumer protection would be enhanced looking at the vibrant provincial sensitisation campaigns embarked on by the Commission across the country.
He said that chiefs were very cardinal in consumer protection as they were the leaders of the largest population in the country.
The chief said he had no doubt that his subjects in Chadiza would benefit greatly from the information regarding their consumer rights, adding that the district was located between Malawi and Mozambique, a situation which exposed them to imported products.
The traditional leader identified their engagement with CCPC as a good strategy if consumer protection was to be enhanced in rural areas where most of the unsuspecting consumers reside.
Chief Zingalume praised the Government through CCPC for reaching rural areas and urged other institutions whose role was to reach members of the community to use traditional leaders as they had well-functioning structures aimed at reaching everybody in the district.