On 14th – 15th December 2023, the National Consumer Protection Commission (NCPC) held induction and training of newly appointed staff at the Office of National Security (ONS) at Tower Hill in Freetown, where its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) stressed the importance of upholding integrity by all. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Madam Massaquoi, representing the Ministry of Trade and Industry gave a brief background to the establishment of the Commission, which was born out of an Act of Parliament enacted in 2020.
She maintained that President Bio desires to ensure that Sierra Leoneans get value for their money from transactions in the market, as well as ensure their well-being, adding that there was a hiatus in business transactions and consumer satisfaction, as there is a proliferation of substandard goods in the market, affecting the safety and satisfaction of consumers.
This gap, she furthered was seized by some Civil Society groups, but unfortunately, some unscrupulous people took advantage of this situation and embarked on extorting business people, thereby compromising the principles of Consumer Protection.
This resulted in the flooding of the market with goods that were not fit for purpose, thereby disadvantaging the consumer and depriving the government of revenue.
Madam Fatima stressed that the NCPC was born to bring sanity to business operations in the country. She admonished participants to maintain the highest standard of discipline and integrity, for in doing so they will be able to sanitize the market and ensure that citizens get value for their money.
In his statement, the CEO of the NCPC, Lawrence Bassie, encouraged all staff to read and digest the Consumer Protection Act, as it is the Bible and Quran of the Commission, and being au fait with it enhances their efficiency in their respective duties. He urged them to embrace integrity and warned that the Commission, under his watch, has zero tolerance for corruption. He re-echoed the words of other Speakers, including the Chairman of the Commission’s Board, Mr Ahmed Akar Ahmed, that the success of the Commission and the success of the government depends on getting it right in their operations. He noted that there are lots of corrupt practices in the business world that are affecting the safety and well-being of consumers and these should be addressed, stressing that the only way to address them is through the commitment and upholding of the highest standards of integrity. He admonished all to embrace the knowledge that experts like Dr. Saffa Abdulai Esq, Dr. Maada Korsu Kandeh and Mr Ibrahim Kabia will be delivering, as they will contribute greatly to the enhancement of their work and the success of the Commission.
The training took the form of open dialogue, with intermittent question breaks to the presenters by the staff on the various topics discussed. A group photo climaxed the session.
