Govt. doubles consumer protection force

Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen hands over a new appointment to an Investigations Officer on 21 January in Colombo as Ministry of Industry and Commerce Secretary Chinthana Lokuhetti (fourth from right) and CAA Chairman Hasitha Tillekeratne (far right) look on

• Apex CAA shouldering great responsibility for SL: Rishad
• 62 new investigators appointed
• 200 more in 2017
• YoY total fines surge by 33% to Rs. 90 m

Faced with increasing price control issues in its domestic market, the Government has started swiftly enforcing new protection measures to safeguard its consumers from errant traders.

“The Investigation Officers of the Consumer Affairs Authority ensure good practices in the retail markets to safeguard our 21 million consumers,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on 21 January in Colombo, addressing the Consumer Affairs Authority event at Vauxhall Street where 62 new Investigation Officers (IO) were appointed to the existing IO force. 

Also present were Ministry of Industry and Commerce Secretary Chinthana Lokuhetti and Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Chairman Hasitha Tillekeratne.

“The CAA safeguards Sri Lankan consumers from errant traders since 2003. As the apex State organisation serving Sri Lanka’s consumer interests, it shoulders the huge responsibility of safeguarding our consumers as well,” said Bathiudeen after handing over the appointment letters.

He added: “Today we are appointing another 62 new Investigation Officers (IO) bringing the total IO force to 250 island-wide. Before end of 2017 I will appoint another 200 or more IOs and will double our IO force so that we can increase our consumer protection raids and ensure stronger controls on errant traders as per the good governance vision of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.”  

“You, the new IOs, have been entrusted with the great task of protecting our consumers under the guidance of Minister Bathiudeen,” said CAA Chairman Tillekeratne. “We thank all our IOs for their ongoing efforts in carrying out raids and collecting fines.”

In 2016, CAA carried out 21,819 raids, and filed 21,000 court cases. CAA netted Rs. 90 million in fines imposed in 2016, a huge 33% increase over its fines collected in 2015. CAA is the apex Government organisation mandated to protect consumers’ interests and ensure fair market competition in Sri Lanka.