World Consumer Rights Day on the theme 'Our Money, Our Rights' is this year being celebrated on March 15.

Activities in Malta will be held in St George's Square, Valletta, on March 17.

There will be a stand with posters on the work of the Consumer Affairs Authority and officials will give the public information on consumers' rights and duties. Copies of the magazine l-Ghazla will also be distributed.

Activities will climax with the presentation of prizes to children who took part in a competition organised by the Consumer Affairs Office.

Addressing a news conference this afternoon, Consumers Minister Jason Azzopardi said children were tomorrow's consumers so it was important to educate them in the sector making them more conscious of their rights and duties.

He also stressed the importance of the Trust Mark and said that the first certificate to businesses opting to take part in the scheme were distributed in January.

The aim of the mark is to promote and safeguard consumers' interests while increasing their confidence in the businesses that opted to form part of it.

Businesses joining the scheme promised to deal with complaints in a reasonable time for better customer care.

Consumers had the right to clear, sufficient and reliable information and a campaign through which the authority will visit councils to listen and advice people is being launched later in the year.

The authority had also extended its opening hours, now opening Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Consumer rights will make another leap with Parliament's approval of the bill on Collective Procedures, which the House was currently debating.

Through the law being proposed, consumers would be able to join forces to present a collective case, reducing delays and simplifying procedures.