The cradle of letters: March .. Consumer’s Month
By: Dr. Haytham Jassan Abdul Salam
Consumer Affairs Expert
Quite contrary to the saying that the month (March is the month of disasters), March is considered a festival for the consumer. on the fifteenth of it, the world celebrates World Consumer Day, which came under the theme of “towards empowering consumers through the transition to clean energy”, and on the twenty-fifth of it, the consumer celebrates Arab Standardization Day, standardization is the key tool for achieving the goal of consumer protection. I find that the consumer finds standardization a haven in light of the great commodity tide, safe food is a basic right and the required safety can only be achieved through standard specifications, and controlled and reliable standards binding on the parties producing and manufacturing food.
According to the International Consumer Federation, there is an urgent need for a global consumer dialogue and action on energy for two main reasons. First, by the end of 2022, global energy prices have risen by 50% and will remain high in 2023 and with food and finance prices rising, consumers everywhere are radically changing their lifestyles to meet their basic needs.
In the latest member insights survey conducted by the International Consumer Federation, more than 80% reported that consumers are adjusting their budgets to foot their energy bills. Second, increasing access to modern, reliable, sustainable and affordable energy will play a key role in averting catastrophic climate change. It is estimated that consumption shifts will reduce future greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 70%.
Consumer empowerment measures revolve around increasing access to clean energy in three key areas: clean homes, clean transportation, and clean electricity supply. This is what we hope to raise awareness of during this year’s celebration in Sudan.
The celebration also aims to highlight the role of standardization in enhancing institutional capacities for digital transformation through standard-setting and standard specifications that ensure the optimal exploitation of this technology and harnessed in development.
And that the world pays great attention to digital transformation programmes as they are essential to support strategic sectors, save money, effort and time, and preserve the environment.
Therefore, March is a month of consumer protection, as all government and private institutions working in the field of standards and consumer protection open closed doors on this day to express what is going on thereof for the benefit of the consumer, and in return, the consumer must fully commit to everything provided by these institutions to integrate the roles that are undoubtedly in the interest of all.
It must be noted the role of the producer, manufacturer, importer and exporter in achieving the desires and aspirations of the consumer, and they are also consumers. Therefore, staying away from everything that could harm, deceive or mislead consumers is considered a crime against themselves in the first place.
Considering the reasons for celebrating Arab Standardization Day, we find that standards are considered a globally recognized reference in organizing the integrated circle of the production, and trading chain and an incentive to improve quality and pay attention to the elements of preserving the environment and all the present and future requirements of the markets, as well as playing a major role in easing laws aimed at assessing the quality of goods or products in a way that ensures their safety and freedom from any impurity that may lead to consumer harm.
When public and private institutions celebrate the consumer, this means that it represents an important axis in their strategies and at the top of their priorities, and this interest must be found by the consumer as a kind of appreciation and reflection. Why this interest? The answer should be accompanied by duties that the consumer must meet with this attention, as not only does the consumer always have to claim and call for his rights, but must perform duties as he/she demands rights.
It must be noted the role of the producer, manufacturer, importer and exporter in achieving the desires and aspirations of the consumer, and they are also consumers, so staying away from everything that could harm, deceive or mislead consumers is considered a crime against themselves in the first place.
One of the most important duties of the consumer is to be sufficiently aware of what harms them through their personal and public experiences, as well as to respond quickly to awareness and education guidelines.
The consumer must always deal and emotions positively with the institutions of standards and consumer protection and not look at them as institutions that do their work only, but must cooperate with them and communicate positively because success in the process of consumer protection depends on cooperation and dealing with trust, transparency and integration of roles, the least of which is the speed of reports and complaints through the number 5960. Praise be to God, consumer protection mechanisms in Sudan have now developed and integrated with the existence of a law and a national apparatus for consumer protection, as well as the Supply and Consumer Protection Investigation Police, and on behalf of the consumer, the environment and public health, and the circuit has been completed by a special court to speed up cases settlement.
Consumer: “I think that the Sudanese Organization for Standardization and Metrology has done well to form the National Committee for Consumer Affairs in the centre and the states in response to the international movement and achieve the seventeenth goal of sustainable development goals partnerships to achieve the goals.
The talk could go on and on but I am going to return to consumer duties. I would also like to extend my congratulations to all on the occasion of International Consumer Day and the Arab Day of Standards. The marking of the day is a way of showing love, harmony, peace, interest and the beginning of success.