By: Ndey Sowe
With the mandate under the Consumer Protection Act 2014, the Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) in collaboration with the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), on Monday October 15th 2018, officially launched the Consumer Protection Business Compliance Guide and Training Workshop on key sections of the Consumer Protection Act at the GCCI complex of ‘Kerr Jula.’ The objective of the training workshop is for capacity building, enforcement and advocacy.
GCCPC is an independent public institution established to enforce the Competition Act of 2007 and administer the Consumer Protection Act of 2014, with the aim to promote and enforce fair competition in the Gambia’s economy, and protect the welfare of consumers of goods and services.
The Executive Director of GCCPC Amadou Ceesay, said they prevent agreements or mergers which substantially lessens competition, and prevent the cartels and the misuse of market power for the purposes of damaging competition. “The competition Law is essentially about protecting the competition process,” he said; that the GCCPC is a national consumer advocacy body that makes sure consumers are not misled. “We have a role to prevent misconduct between businesses and consumers as enshrined in the Consumer Protection Act 2014, and consumer protection is enforced through the consumer protection tribunal located at the Bundung Magistrates Court,’’ he said; that the objective of the guide is to help businesses stay on the side of the Consumer Protection Act 2014, and all businesses must comply. Ceesay said it is mandatory for businesses offering goods and services to consumers within the Gambia, to uphold and comply with the provisions of the CP Act 2014.
He went on saying that the forum will be able to afford members of the business community the opportunity to have a sound understanding of the Competition Act 2007, and to be trained on key concepts of competition and Consumer Law.
Bubacarr Saho, a representative of the CEO of the GCCI on his part, dwelled on the significance of the launching and the training of the consumer protection business compliance guide to consumers and businesses; that the GCCI is to work with Government in their quest to influence policy, law and regulation; that being a consumer or business person, one must abide by the Law in order to pay tax on time. He thanked the GCCPC for coming up with an important programme, and hope that the training will be beneficial to the trainees.
