On Monday 8th April 2024, a combined team from the National Consumer Protection Commission (NCPC), the Directorate of Standards and Compliance of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Standards Bureau, mounted a sting operation in Waterloo, closing three building materials shops found in possession of substandard iron rods. The team was led by the CEO of the NCPC, Lawrence Landi Bassie, supported by the Director of Standards and Compliance in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Madam Nguanya Massaquoi, and an expert from the Standards Bureau, the media, and the police from Waterloo.
Speaking during the operation, Mr Lawrence Bassie told journalists that they were acting on intelligence about two trucks from Guinea offloading iron rods that do not conform to the stipulated standards of Sierra Leone. He disclosed that the expert from the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau did the necessary examination of a random sampling of the various types of iron rods, and established that all the rods examined, did not meet the required length and sizes stipulated for use in the country, with most short by 10 feet and more, which is a clear violation of the provisions of Section 46 of the Consumer Protection Act of 2020, which stipulates that a consumer should be sold goods that are of good quality and safe for its ordinary use.
Against this backdrop, CEO Bassie stressed that the Commission and the Ministry of Trade and Industry have therefore ordered the closure of the three shops (two Indian owned one Lebanese) until further notice, adding that strong action will be taken against these owners to ensure compliance and the safety of Sierra Leoneans. He expressed concerns over the destruction that substandard iron rods can do to buildings and the risk of death, maiming and injury posed to occupants of houses, as well as the economic loss to the consumers.
He stressed that the NCPC and the Ministry of Trade and Industry are determined to put an end to the many unfair and bad trade practices in the business sector. He assured Sierra Leoneans that the team would embark on spontaneous on-the-spot checking on business houses to ensure compliance and the safety of consumers.
Madam Massaquoi, in a brief statement, said that the government has provided a very conducive environment for business to thrive, but will not allow business people to put the lives of consumers at risk. She called on all business people to comply with the stipulated standards of their respective businesses.
All three shops, Yasser Building Material, Marco Construction and ABM Building Material were closed and additional padlocks from the team were put on each door.
