CPA pushes for passage of Consumer Protection Law
By Isaac AIDOO, Accra
In a spirited call to action, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Consumer Protection Agency Mr. Kofi Kapito has joined forces with CUTS International Accra and Imani Africa to protest the prolonged delay in passing the Consumer Protection Law.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Mr. Kapito expressed deep frustration over the 19-year-long delay, highlighting the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s (MOTI) failure to advance the draft Consumer Protection Bill through the legislative process.
Since 2005, when the bill was first introduced, it has remained in draft form, gathering dust at the MOTI while other bills have swiftly moved through Parliament. Mr. Kapito lamented, “We have lost count of the number of press conferences we have had on this matter.” He pointed out the irony that while the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Act 691, initiated at the same time as the Consumer Protection Bill, was passed into law in 2005, the latter has yet to reach Parliament.
Despite the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2016 manifesto pledge to “protect Ghanaians from inferior quality goods, products, and services” by facilitating the passage of a Consumer Protection Law, the bill has not been prioritized. With the current administration approaching the end of its term, the bill is conspicuously absent from the NPP’s 2024 manifesto, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to consumer rights.
Mr. Kapito criticized the MOTI for its lack of urgency, noting that the bill has been repeatedly listed among those to be received by Parliament since 2017, yet has never been tabled. “It is discouragingly disheartening and pathetic the snail pace at which the MOTI is handling the process,” he said, questioning whether the ministry is intentionally stalling the bill to serve the interests of certain businesses.
The absence of a Consumer Protection Law, Mr. Kapito argued, has left Ghanaian consumers vulnerable to widespread abuse, including the sale of substandard goods, deceptive marketing practices, and exploitative pricing. He emphasized the daily struggles of ordinary citizens, such as a mother unknowingly purchasing contaminated food or a retired teacher being denied redress after buying a defective television.
Consumer rights organizations are now intensifying their efforts, with plans to petition the President, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Parliamentary Leadership. They also intend to mobilize one thousand consumers to picket at the MOTI premises until the draft bill is finally introduced to Parliament. Mr. Kapito urged the government to take immediate action: “Introduce the Consumer Protection Bill to Parliament without further delay. The people of Ghana deserve no less.” The coalition of consumer rights advocates remains resolute in their mission to secure legal protections for all Ghanaian consumers, vowing to continue their fight until the bill is passed and enforced.
