Consumers urged to know their rights

Safeguarding the consumer was at the top of the EU's and the Government's agenda, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said yesterday in his first local activity since being sworn in.

An information booth was set up in Republic Street, Valletta, where commuters could seek advice or ask consumer-related questions as Malta yesterday joined the rest of the EU states in celebrating European Consumer Day.

Under the theme of 'Know Your Rights, Use Your Rights', the European Commission teamed up with the Consumer and Competition Division and the European Consumer Centre (Malta) in a bid to make consumers aware of their rights.

Mr Fenech, who is now also responsible for consumer affairs, said that shoppers had a right to understand what they were buying, whether it was safe and if the price was justified.

This had become a big challenge since prices were being affected by the oil crisis and the rising cost of cereals, among others.

Mr Fenech said one had to ensure that the market was competitive, even where it seemed that there were dominant forces. This was a major challenge that the Government was addressing, but structures would be improved to ensure information reached consumers more effectively.

However, he also urged consumers to be an effective force and report incidents whenever they felt that they were not being treated fairly.

The minister said that the FAIR scheme, introduced in the run-up to euro introduction on January 1, had provided businesses with a symbol of confidence, which could, however, be eliminated by consumer complaints.

Joanna Drake, the head of the European Commission Representation in Malta, spoke on the Commission's adoption this week of the Consumer Policy Strategy for 2007-2013.

This strategy sets out the challenges, role, priorities and actions of the EU consumer policy for this period with its overall objective being to empower consumers, enhance their welfare, and protect them effectively. Dr Drake referred to the Commission's vision to achieve a single, simple set of rules for the benefit of consumers and retailers alike by 2013.

According to the EU's scoreboard, the Maltese are very informed about their consumer rights with their level of information being above average. The Maltese also said they were satisfied by the service provided by public entities.

Mireille Vella, the director of the Consumer and Competition Division, said awareness had increased to such an extent that the division had to open a second office. Staff numbers were increased and complaints were not generally frivolous.

A second arbiter was appointed on the tribunal and there was now an opportunity to appeal.