By Awa B. Bah
The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) and the Weight and Measures Department (WMD), on Friday 8th September 2017, signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU), aimed at improving consumer protection through effective use of collective resources and to eliminate the duplication of activities.
The GCCPC is an independent public institution established to enforce and administer the Consumer Protection Act 2014 and the Competition Act 2007, which together aims to promote and enforce fair competition in the country’s economy and protect the welfare of consumers of goods and services.
The Executive Secretary of GCCPC Amadou Ceesay, said the signing ceremony is a significant day in the history of the two sectors as it formalizes an already existing working relationship. He said both the Competition Act 2007 and the Consumer Protect Act 2014, enjoin the GCCPC to work with competent authorities in discharging their mandate.
“What we have with such institutions is the common pursuit to protect consumers of goods and services from practices that are deceptive, unfair, unjust or unreasonable”, said Ceesay. ‘‘The existence of the MOU,’’ he said, ‘‘signals that both the GCCPC and the WMD intend to remain active in the consumer protection arena and this is important in the monitoring and reviewing of the policies and laws of our respective institutions.’’
He said no national competition and consumer protection authority can work on its own and thus there is no substitute for joint collaboration; that the signing of the MOU between the two institutions, symbolizes a partnership believed to help many and will produce new synergies that will add enforcement value for both the GCCPC and the WMD.
Chenor Njai, controller at the department of weight and measures said the MOU will go a long way in protecting the rights of the consumers, saying the signing of the MOU between GCCPC and the WMD is in the right direction. He noted that the two institutions’ cooperation has always been there and called for the continuation of that cooperation. The WMD he said is a consumer protection unit as that of the GCCPC. He said that there is the need for them to complement each other’s efforts in ensuring that the Consumer Protection Act is been adhered to, to the maximum. Mariama Barry, who moderated the signing ceremony, said the MOU will consolidate the working relationship between the two institutions as they have been working together; that this will be another beginning of a more fruitful engagement and will mutually benefit both. Baboucarr Ceesay delivered the closing remarks.
