Upholding consumer interests
THE Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) today celebrates World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) 2018 under the theme, “Making Digital Marketplaces Fairer”. The CCZ strives for “fair deal” for consumers within the market place. Its mission is to become a visible and highly effective consumer empowerment and protection organisation in the country that unconditionally upholds the interests of all its stakeholders. The CCZ shall achieve its mission through the establishment and management of effective networks with fellow consumer organisations worldwide, and through the management of a competent and well motivated staff.
The CCZ is a non-profit making organisation registered under the Welfare Act (1975). It is a consumer watchdog which is at the forefront in defending consumer interests, initiating proconsumer legislation, empowering consumers and monitoring product quality in Zimbabwe.
The CCZ has five basic functions that can be summarised as follows:
1. Consumer Education – sensitising consumers on their rights and responsibilities across the country.
2. Complaints Handling – receiving and advising on consumer complaints as well as providing an arbitration service between consumers and service providers where disputes arise.
3. Lobbying and Advocacy – the CCZ advocates for the enactment of legislation that is consumerfriendly. The Consumer Protection Bill currently tabled in Parliament resulted from vigorous campaigning from the Council.
4. Price and Product Standard Monitoring – in order to protect consumers from market abuse, the CCZ monitors and reports on pricing and product standards. Relevant pressure is exerted on instances of unfair pricing or compromises in product standards.
5. Research – empirical research is carried out with the aim of keeping consumers informed. This involves investigations on issues that affect and are of interest to consumers so as to publicise them, to influence corrective policy debate and formulation.
World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) was first observed on March 15, 1983, to promote the basic rights of consumers everywhere. Since then, it has become an important occasion for mobilising citizen action. In 2016, the umbrella consumer action body, Consumers International (CI), launched a bid for WCRD to be formally recognised by the United Nations as an international day within the UN calendar.
WCRD is an important opportunity for the CCZ and other consumer organisations to draw the world’s attention to the crucial role that consumer protection plays in making societies safer and fairer. Further, the commemoration of WCRD amplifies the importance of the provision of 21st Century protection to 21st Century consumers.
As such, consumer movements all around the world unite around a common theme each year to deliver an exciting range of campaigning activities. Rallying around one theme, globally, is meant to promote focus on highlighted issues. The following is the selection of previous WCRD themes:
2017: Building a Digital World Consumers Can Trust
2014: Fix our Phone Rights 2013: Consumer Justice Now 2011: Consumers for Fair Financial Services The digital world is undergoing a digital revolution with significant implications for global economies, livelihoods and consumers. This revolution is predicated on the ever increasing pace of technological innovation and diffusion. Digital technologies and their attendant applications are reshaping whole domains of human activity and are spreading the word faster than previous waves of technological innovation. The digital revolution is thus too important for any country to overlook. Digital economy can be harnessed for inclusive and sustainable growth as digital technology makes life easier for consumers, raise the productivity of workers and firms and help governments extend key services to those who need them most.
The internet and mobile technology have allowed business and markets to expand consumers’ access to goods and services at competitive prices while bringing greater transparency through price comparison and to inform consumer choice. However, consumers complain about complexity and uncertainty about delivery for instance, dispute resolution and they can be victims of misleading or fraudulent business practices.