Relief, as govt revs up anti-substandard products battle

[Consumer]

Culled from Guardian

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FOR the second time within two weeks, the Federal Government and its agencies demonstrated renewed commitment to the campaign against the assessed preponderance of substandard products in the country.

Indeed, at the second forum in Lagos where the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) organised a one-day stakeholders interactive forum on its conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP), the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Humphrey Abah disclosed that importers of products into the country without SONCAP would thenceforth be prosecuted.

With SONCAP, it becomes mandatory for products imported into the country to be certified to be of high quality by approved agents.

Earlier at a forum organised by the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), the organisation's Director General, Mrs. Ify Umenyi had also warned that plans were in the offing to sanction local manufacturers whose products caused any form of injury to consumers, which she said implied that the product was substandard.

At local and international levels; therefore, those who deal in substandard products may find it an easy venture anymore.

Umenyi, who accused local manufacturers of handling the issue of counterfeit products with levity, said that CPC's resolved to sanction them as stated would make them appreciate the seriousness of the problem of counterfeit products on consumers and generally on the economy and to therefore take necessary measures to address the menace.

In her words: "The way genuine manufacturers had treated the counterfeiting of their products with levity in the past had compelled CPC to introduce in the Bill amending its enabling law, a clause on strict liability of products. This will make all manufacturers in the country liable for injuries suffered from the consumption of their products by consumers, regardless of whether the products are faked or not.

"This is to awaken the business community to the fact that government cannot sanitise the market alone. Also, it is an exclusive preserve of businesses all over the world to protect their brands from being counterfeited or pirated."

To avoid sanctions, the way out she advised, was for manufacturer to take clear measures to tackle the problem because, according to her, counterfeiters had become quite sophisticated and aggressive in carrying out their criminal acts.

Specifically, Umenyi tasked the manufacturers: "It is expected that every genuine manufacturer or producer must introduce anti-counterfeiting and piracy units in their operations, initiate and acquaint the council (CPC) with authenticating and security features of their products, and if need be, assist us with intelligence and other necessary support for successful enforcement operation in the marketplace."

The CPC boss; however, assured that CPC would intensify its surveillance and enforcement operations in the marketplace and step up its consumer education programme for all categories of Nigerians, to stem the tide of counterfeiting in the country.

Like Umenyi, Abah said that SONCAP defaulters deserved prosecution because they were enemies of the nation. " It is only prosecution that will serve as a deterrent," he stressed.

He assured that government would strengthen SON's legal department and its surveillance operations for increased efficiency.

Indeed, be it electronic, pharmaceutical products or even food items, the menace of fake or substandard products has become very worrisome.

The Head, Electrical Electronics, SON's Lagos office, Mr. Richard Adewunmi disclosed, for instance, that 75 per cent of the electrical/electronic products imported into the country were found to be fake or substandard.

"This, among other reasons, informed the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between CPC and |SON in pursuit of a joint agenda to ensure that consumers are protected from unsafe products," he said.

Indeed, Abah also disclosed that the Federal Government would soon sign an agreement with China - one of the country's largest trading partners at ensuring that only top quality products were imported into Nigeria from the Asian country.

According to the Director, Trade and Exchange Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. B.A. Musa, the negative impact of substandard products on the economy informed the banks' recent decision to increase the list of products that must be SONCAP compliant, excluding those under the purview of the National Agency of Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

SON's Director General, Dr. John Ndanusa Akanya insisted that the anti-substandard products battle was a national issue deserving everybody's support significantly, the Nigeria Customs Services, Freight Forwarders Association, programme management committees of SONCAP and other stakeholders have at different fora pledged their support in the fight against the menace.