By Awa Macalo
The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) has said some individuals and businesses have been extracting up to 5kg from 50kg bags of rice when transporting them to wholesale or retail outlets. The Commission in a press release yesterday warned that such a behaviour violates the consumer protection and competition Acts.
“The sale or purported sale of these under-weight bags of rice including the sale of any under-weight or measuring products such as cement, onions, potatoes, meat, flour, sugar, oil and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) etc. constitutes a flagrant breach of provisions of the Weights and Measures Act 1979, Sales of Goods Act 1979 and the Consumer Protection Act 2014,” the GCCPC said.
It called on businesses and persons to desist from market “practices that are fraudulent, deceptive or misleading.”
“The Commission in collaboration with the Gambia Police Force and Weights and Measures Bureau shall conduct further investigations into the matter and any person(s) / businesses(s) found wanting shall be prosecuted in line with the Consumer Protection Act 2014. The Commission wishes to commend the Gambia Police Force and the Gambia Transport Union for their diligent efforts in detecting such deceitful and fraudulent practices and calls for continued cooperation and collaboration between institutions to protect consumers in an efficient and effective manner.”
“The Commission encourages persons who may have any information, and or complaints/dissatisfaction or aware of illegal/suspicious conduct with respect to business practices to report such information to the Commission on 5000033.”
