Incoming Consumer Protection and Management Bill

Parliament has awarded the Member of Parliament for Bukoto West, Hon. Permission to introduce the Consumer Protection and Management Bill, Muhamad Ssentayi.

Although the proposal was to be delivered by the chairman of the Committee on Trade, Tourism, and Industry, the proposal was instead presented by the honorable Mwine Mpaka, Anita Among, the Speaker, exercised her discretion to suspend the regulation to allow Ssentayi to speak.

Ssentayi, who introduced the motion on November 8, 2022, stated that the implementation of a consumer protection law in Uganda will permit the establishment of quality, safety, and dependability criteria for goods.

According to him, the bill will offer legal remedies for noncompliance with these standards and prohibit unfair or deceptive business activities.

Ssentayi added that the failure to enact legislation that particularly provides for the legal protection of consumers in Uganda will continue to diminish the quality of goods manufactured and distributed in Uganda.

According to him, this will also put consumers in a weaker position than those with whom they transact, robbing them of their money’s worth and product value and escalating the breach of the legal right to equal protection.

Ssentayi stated that the regulations governing consumer protection are currently disorganized.

“A consumer protection law is required to safeguard customers not only from fraud and dishonesty in commercial transactions, but also from oppressive deals and inferior goods and services,” he stated.

The Honorable Buhweju County Representative According to Francis Mwijukye, the measure will aid in uniformity and combating consumer exploitation.

According to him, those who have been wronged can now seek remedy as a result of this bill.

The government has instructed banks not to increase interest rates and loan officers not to take advantage of customers, but this continues to occur. We believe this law is necessary to promote fairness and equity,” he explained.

Despite the fact that the government, through the Deputy Attorney General, Hon. Jackson Kafuuzi argued that the government was also preparing the measure, but Speaker Anita Among ruled that the process of introducing the bill should proceed.