Last week’s Bill – which set up the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority – was published in the Government Gazette and will come into force shortly.

The authority will be led by a board of governors, whose main role will be setting the strategy and policies and their implementation.

The members of the board must be individuals with relevant qualifications and experience to ascertain that both consumers and economic operators are adequately represented.

Four independent entities will make up the new authority: the Office for Competition, the Office for Consumer Affairs;, the Technical Regulations Division, and the Standards and Metrology Institute.

Each office will be entrusted with the implementation of policy and will have full decision-making powers within its own individual remit.

The primary objective of the authority will be that of ensuring that markets function properly for the benefit of consumers and economic operators. Trust between the two plays an important role in the achievement of this objective, and its attainment is imperative.

On one hand, economic operators will be encouraged to compete by providing products and services that give consumers good value for money. The setting up of consumer-friendly business practices that give consumers more than they are legally entitled to will also be encouraged and sustained by the authority.

The education of those involved will also be high on the authority’s agenda, and an informative magazine addressing specific issues of importance to both consumers and economic operators will be published on a regular basis.

Economic operators and consumers should both know their legal obligations, responsibilities and duties and observe them.

Consumer confidence is another target. It is a fact that consumers buy and spend more when they feel they can trust the trader. A Trust Mark will be introduced, whereby service providers will bind themselves to a code of practice similar to the scheme introduced during the euro changeover.

Consumers are currently at odds when it comes to the regulating authority they need to turn to when they are not satisfied with a service.

The new authority will be filling this void. A customer help desk will also be set up, which will not only give advice but also direct consumers to the right person to address any complaints. The concept of a one-stop-shop will become reality.

Other functions of the authority include the transposition of voluntary standards and standardisation-related services, such as certification. The introduction of legal metrology will ensure consumers get their money’s worth when purchases are based on measurement. For instance, consumers can rest assured that they will not be overcharged for fuel or gas consumption.

Market surveillance officers will be ensuring that only safe products are on the market and any unsafe product will not only be removed but also recalled, if necessary.

Other functions of the authority will be to ensure the smooth transposition and adoption of technical regulations.

customer@timesofmalta.com

odette.vella@gov.mt

Ms Vella is senior information officer, Consumer and Competition Department.

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