Mr Malaythong Kommasith.

Govt takes further action to protect consumers

The government is attempting to do more to resolve issues around consumer protection and disputes concerning goods and service providers.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce last week held its annual consumer protection meeting to outline its achievements over the last three years (2019-2021) and the action plan for the last six months of this year.
The meeting aimed to boost coordination between central and local government agencies and other bodies involved in consumer protection, to make their work stronger and more effective.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Malaythong Kommasith, and attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, provincial Industry and Commerce departments, other government organisations, domestic manufacturing companies, and importers.
In the past, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in particular the Domestic Trade Department, has paid close attention to goods price controls, carried out checks on the sale of expired goods, and attempted to stem the tide of illegal imports, all in the interests of consumer protection, said the department’s Director General, Mr Phouvieng Phongsa.
To boost the effectiveness of its work, the department has drawn up regulations and circulated the Law on Consumer Protection to government officials and the private sector from the central to local levels, as well as familiarising educational institutions with the law.
The department is also encouraging businesses to design logos using the Lao language, as well as welcome comments, complaints and online messages from consumers through hotline numbers and Facebook.
Officials have resolved thousands of disputes over goods worth billions of kip and have confiscated and disposed of a vast range of products on shop shelves that were past their sell-by date.
Department officials have also fined traders and importers who violated the rules, Mr Phouvieng said.
With regard to regional and international cooperation, the department is a member of the Asean Consumer Protection Committee, which meets twice a year and is hosted by each Asean member country in rotation.
The department still faces an uphill battle in terms of consumer protection and continues to deal with a barrage of complaints. The department’s operations leave much to be desired when it comes to complying with all the requirements and regulations, Mr Phouvieng said.
The Domestic Trade Department will continue to familiarise all sectors of society and government with the Law on Consumer Protection and the role of consumers, as well as enforce product price controls and carry out checks for out-of-date goods and illegally imported products.
Mr Phouvieng said the department is facing difficulties in managing and monitoring goods-related services online and through Facebook and official websites.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 2, 2022)