DHAHRAN: Many consumers are not fully aware of their rights and therefore need to learn when those rights have been violated, according to the Consumer Protection Association (CPA). “The CPA was founded with the key missions of safeguarding and defending the rights of consumers against fraud, adulteration, falsification, and tampering with commodities and services, as well as to protect consumers against exaggerated prices and misleading advertisements in newspapers and television,” said Abdul Aziz A. Alshaye, Director of CPA Public and Media Relations. “We do not have the mandate and power to prosecute establishments which are violating the rights of consumers; we however record those violations and report them to the proper government authorities, such as the Ministry of Commerce and local chambers of commerce, for these agencies to impose the correct sanctions,” Alshaye told Saudi Gazette. According to Alshaye, one common violation of the rights of consumers is not giving change in halalas due to customers, a common practice of supermarkets in the Kingdom. “If you are due change, no matter how small, it is your right to ask for that change,” he said. He added that the CPA will soon organize teams to visit supermarkets and malls to inspect products on display, the pricing, the expiry date of commodities, and the physical arrangement of products. “We want to emphasize to sellers that they have to promote the interest of consumers, not only of their establishments,” he stressed. The association has already started its information and education campaign to inform consumers about their rights. Through the distribution of educational materials on consumerism, the rights of consumers, how to detect fraud, adulteration and other deceits, and by means of publication in newspapers and spots on television regarding consumers' rights, seminars, and participation in public events, the CPA is hopeful that consumers' rights in Saudi Arabia will be improved, fully recognized and widely practiced. “We have a long way to go, considering the influx of products and commodities in local markets; products that are produced locally and those that are imported need to be monitored as to their price, composition, expiry date, and other important factors,” Alshaye said. The association has the long-term vision of proposing consumer protection laws that will allow it to sanction establishments that violate the rights of consumers. It is also planning to represent consumers in local and international bodies. Organized about a year ago, the CPA is a non-government organization which is self-financing. It has over 250 members who are experts in consumer protection and consumerism, according to Alshaye. He said the organization is now being expanded with a new branch to be establishment soon in Dammam. At present CPA has its headquarters in Riyadh and a branch office in Jeddah.
