THE Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) says it will name and shame shops that are repeatedly shortchanging consumers and jeopardising their safety, NewsDay Business can report
This comes as there has been a significant influx of counterfeit goods in the local market, affecting the country’s economy and health citizens
CPC research and public affairs manager Kudakwashe Mudereri told NewsDay Business that as a regulatory body, the commission was working diligently to ensure consumer safety, indicating that it would soon expose those businesses that are putting citizens’ lives at risk.
“We want to urge our business community to be ethical as the commission will not hesitate to invoke all the necessary provisions of the Act to deal with all the malcontents who are bent on exploiting consumers,” Mudereri said.
“Just last week, our team of inspectors were in Matebeleland North, where they covered areas such as Nkayi, Lupane, Hwange and Dete so that no place or no person is left behind in this crusade to bring sanity with our business community. Other areas are going to be covered in the coming weeks, resources permitting.
“The Consumer Protection Commission has noted with concern the recent practice by some unscrupulous businesses, who are taking products that are about to expire or have expired to remote parts of the country. Of notable concern is in the beverages sector, where over 200 cases of drinks were confiscated in Mashonaland East (province) last month,” he said.
In June, the commission said it was working alongside agencies such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the Trade Measures Department, the Department of Food and Food Standards and the Medicine Control Authority of Zimbabwe to conduct sporadic crackdowns on counterfeit goods.
To date, 3 581 businesses have been prosecuted since January.
Over 1700 have been issued with compliance notices over various offences.
“[The compliance notices] require them to comply within 14 days, failure of which they will be prosecuted. One of the businesses was fined US$3 000 through the court system for selling expired products. Very soon, we will be publishing names of shops that are continuously in the habit of shortchanging consumers,” he said.
Muderereri also raised concerns about unscrupulous businesses transporting near-expired or expired products to remote areas.
“Other products which are being sold expired include but are not limited to food items such as salad creams, baby products, milk, mahewu and seasoning products,” he said.
“Cases of counterfeit products are still rampant, where the commission recently busted a syndicate of people selling counterfeit Eversharp pens.”
The commission has been prosecuting businesses found on the wrong side of the law using the legal provisions of the consumer Protection Act[Chapter 14:44].
