Coronavirus Pandemic
THE Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has bagged commendation from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for taking proactive and effective actions against price gouging.
The commission was also commended by the international body for its actions against other anti-consumer activities during the ongoing global pandemic.
A statement by the management of the FCCPC said the UN lauded the commission’s efforts during its recent online meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
The statement quoted Mr Babatunde Irukera, the Director-General of FCCPC, as saying that the commendation was due to its leadership role, demonstrated by early successive warnings against unfair practices and anti-market behaviours.
Irukera also said that the commendation came as a result of the commission’s determination to enforce the law against any breaches.
He noted that UNCTAD recognised the positive outcomes in the country,, following the warning letter by FCCPC to sellers engaged in price gouging and arbitrary price increases of hygiene products during the pandemic.
‘The UNCTAD session also chronicled robust actions by other countries apart from Nigeria, as consumer protection authorities monitor digital markets more closely to fight unfair, misleading and abusive practices,” he said.
On the commission’s experiences in enforcing fair competition and protecting consumers on busy online portals, Irukera said that although it had been challenging but progress was being made.
The director-general said the thrust of the meeting was the increasing dependence on digital platforms for online shopping, virtual meeting and learning purposes in the wake of the pandemic.
He disclosed that ideas and experiences on how to manage electronic commerce, which had witnessed increased usage at the wake of the pandemic was shared during the meeting.
The commission said the meeting, entitled: ‘Competition and Consumer Protection in Times of COVID-19’, was witnessed by representatives from competition and consumer protection agencies from across the world.
Participants at the meeting included Ms Maria Carolina Corcione, Director for Consumer Protection, Superintendence of Industry and Commerce, Colombia; and Mr Jongbae Park, Director of International Cooperation, Korea Fair Trade Commission, among others.
NAN
– May 14, 2020 @ 18:05 GMT |
Tags: COVID-19: Commission bags UN commendation over robust consumer protection
