Vice President Aliu Mahama has hailed the formation of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), a non governmental organisation to protect the rights of consumers, describing it as historic. He said this is the first time that Ghanaians have a clear opportunity to effectively channel their complaints about the goods and services they purchase with their hard earned money. Launching the CPA last Friday, Alhaji Mahama said gone were the days when people formed queues to purchase goods and services no matter their standard and quality. "That was the era of powerful market queens and suppliers. That was the era of galloping inflation when prices changed so fast that savings were worthless," he said. He explained that in such an environment, standards and measures "appear not to matter to the market. Consumers are just grateful to find a desperately needed commodity to service and be able to pay for it even if the price is unreasonable and the quality questionable." Fortunately, he said through prudent economic management, good governance and rule of law, the country has overcome that. Alhaji Mahama therefore called on Ghanaians never to forget the role of political tolerance in the country’s current state of progress, stressing that the government’s tolerance was a key ingredient in signaling to the rest of the world "our preparedness to be inclusive". "Inclusiveness fosters peace; peace provides the stability for growth based on long-term economic commitments", he said, adding "that accounts for the vibrant markets and competitive branding and pricing being enjoyed." "Today the era of plenty has come. In an era of plenty, there is choice." Alhaji Mahama said when there is a wide range of choices for people to choose from "then standards matter very much because it is better value for money." He therefore considered the work of the CPA as very important and urged it to stay true to its aims and become a reliable partner to both the consumer and supplier. "It must seek not to judge but should be impartial and objective," he advised. Outlining the objectives of the agency, its chief executive officer, Kofi Owusuhene, said the agency has no intention to destroy anybody’s business, but to serve the interest of both the consumer and the business community. It will serve as a mediator for consumer concerns and an advocate for social issues as well as strengthen and support the development of industry standards and mechanism for addressing abuses of consumer rights. He said the CPA will formulate national, municipal and district consumer protection policies and laws to ensure the enforcement of existing policies. The chairman of the occasion, Justice Ennin Yeboah, a nominee to the supreme court, said the formation of the CPA, will complement the work of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), the constitutionally mandated body to ensure that consumers are provided with the right quality and standard of products and services. He said though the FDB Act is comprehensive enough to accommodate all consumer complaints and deal with them, he was however not sure if the board is resourced enough to undertake this task. He therefore called on the agency to create the awareness and to educate the people to demand the best standard and quality of products and services. Source: The Ghanaian Times