Arab Consumer Union concludes a 3-day Meeting [Archives:2000/39/Local News]
Yasser M. Ahmad
Yemen Times
On the sidelines of the 16-19 September second Meeting for Arab Consumer Union hosted by Yemen, a seminar on trade counterfeiting was organized at the Taj Sheba Hotel last Wednesday. The seminar centered on four main premises: negative impact of counterfeiting on society, impact on investment and national economy, role of legislation to limit it and discussion of some Arab experiments in this field.
Sawsan Shenidi, vice chairwomen of the Sudanese Society on Protection of the Consumer presented a paper entitled The Legal side of Counterfeiting in which she highlighted the Islamic teachings related to consumers protection and how Islam assures this by a number of laws. The paper called for making comprehensive legislation besides conducting inspection campaigns to protect the consumer.
Mr. Hassan Al-Kutheiry, vice chairman of the Emirates Society discussed impact of counterfeiting on Arab consumers, pointing out the fact that counterfeiting amounted to US$ 800 billion in the Arab countries in 1998. He further indicated that the volume of counterfeiting would even increase with the spread of e-trade and globalization principles if there were no awareness, laws and sufficient control. At the end of his discussion he called for granting consumer societies more powers so that they could sue on behalf of consumers.
Dr. Abed Fadhliah, professor of economy at University of Damascus presented a full definition of trade counterfeiting. He also discussed the hazards of adding extra materials to products which he divided into three kinds, those added to foodstuffs, which have been proved to be harmful, those whose harm is still questioned and pollutants added to foodstuffs as a result of ignorance and carelessness such as dust.
Dr. Saeed Boraitel, assistant secretary general of the Arab Consumer Union gave examples of the phenomenon in Morocco. He also mentioned some poisonous chemical substances that were sometimes added to products.
Counterfeiting and consumers protection in Libya was presented by Dr. Abdulsalam Al-Dowaibi who said that legislation and laws related to consumers protection are paid more attention .
Mr. Ahmad Ahmad Al-Bashah explained the role of the Yemen Organization for Standardization Metrology and Quality Control in fighting the phenomenon by making laboratory tests on products available in the market.
In a short interview with the Yemen Times, Mr. Khamis Al-Farisi, Omani supervisor from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said that they were preparing in Oman to issue special laws to protect consumers.
Mr. Abdullah Hassan Al-Gaib from the Bahraini Ministry of Trade described the assembly as a success. There are no non-governmental organizations in Bahrain to protect the consumers, however, the government is doing that, he said. He said that the consumers protection department at the Ministry of Trade organized many programs either on TV or as lectures for consumers.
On the role media can play in guiding people to the best foodstuffs, Mrs. Soad Al-Deeb, director of Health programs in Egyptian TV, Channel 2, said that media people should realize the negative outcomes of TV advertisements that are broadcast intensively on TV channels. :Media people should understand the principles of protecting the consumer, she said.
At the end of the seminar a number of journalists and newspapers were honored for their efforts against attempts to harm consumers.
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