CONSUMER AFFAIRS TAKING NON-COMPLIANT BUSINESSES TO COURT

"No more soft approach’’- Ag Dire

For many years businesses were not held accountable for failing to comply with the Consumer Affairs Act since the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) had a "soft approach" whenever businesses would breach these liabilities.

However, acting Director of the CCAC Anil Sukhdeo told News Update this will be changed.

Sukhdeo said the commission this year will be taking a stricter approach towards these businesses.

"we have money budgeted and we will be prosecuting those dishonored ruling within the courts. especially in regards to the ruling if the commission give you a due process to a fair hearing and at the end when there is a ruling and you still don’t want to adhere to the ruling we will of course take the route to the court"

he said.

However he noted just as any other legal proceeding, these businesses will be given a fair chance to correct their mistakes.

’’we issue a letter to the relevant business to ask them to comply so we take more of a soft approach at first and then we would take the much stricter approach where we would write them and engage them and inform them of the liability they would attract for those infringement."

This will be the first time the CCAC will be taking businesses towards the court.

About the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission.

The CCAC, through its competition arm, brings cases against infringing parties. The Commission can apply a range of pecuniary, punitive and injunctive remedies available to it to correct the behaviour of the infringing parties once found guilty.