By HELEN  ZULU –
THE Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has recorded an increase in the number of consumer cases resolved, from 827 in 2014 to 1,791 last year.
The 53.82 per cent increase was a result of massive awareness programmes on consumer rights and obligations by the Commission.
This is contained in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday by CCPC public relations officer Hanford Chaaba.
CCPC director, consumer protection Brian Lingela noted that last year, the Commission successfully recovered K1, 492,889.09 million in product refunds and replacements compared to K704, 336.31 in 2014.
“The Commission has recorded an increase in the number of consumer cases resolved in 2015.
“This can be attributed to the fact that consumers are now appreciating our consumer rights, obligations and enhanced sensitisation on consumer-related issues by the Commission,” he said.
Mr Lingela said the Commission had observed that a number of complaints had continued coming from different sectors of the economy, among them finance, insurance, courier services, and wholesale and retail trading.
He said the wholesale and retail trading sector was outstanding in terms of complaints because of defective products, especially electrical items.
“The complaints are mainly on poor service such as unsolicited insurance cover, misrepresentation in loan agreements, supply of defective goods and failure to supply a service within a reasonable time, especially in the courier services for goods bought via online shopping,” Mr Lingela said.
He said five major cases of excessive pricing were currently under investigations by the Commission and that they were all from different sectors of the economy.
Mr Lingela said the Commission had not just been advocating for refunds for affected consumers, but also enforcing the law by slapping fines on companies found wanting.
The Commission has also embarked on different strategies aimed at inculcating a culture of competition and consumer awareness among consumers in the country.
The activities include debates, inter-school quizzes, and essay writing competitions.
Mr Lingela said the promotion of competition and consumer protection in the economy was not to hinder business growth, but to create a conducive market environment for all players in the economy.