A Consumer Complaint, Mediation and Arbitration Centre to provide redress to consumers’ complaints was on Tuesday opened in Accra.
The first of its kind to be established in the country by the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), the centre is to serve as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) facility for aggrieved consumers when they feel underserved of a product or service providers.
The centre has, among others, a conference room, complaints and records sections respectively, a separate office for Mediator One -on-One with a client and ancillary facilities.
The President of the Ghana National Association of Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioners (GNAAP), Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, who inaugurated the facility in Accra on Tuesday commended management for establishing the centre to provide a cost effective, non- adversarial and timely resolution of conflicts between consumers and businesses.
“Ghana’s economy is largely import oriented which makes dumping of goods and services very easy especially in an environment of weak consumer protection, regulation and enforcement,” he stated.
Unfortunately, the GNAAP president observed, that there was low consciousness about consumer rights, awareness, and responsibilities which were very important in ensuring that consumers take decisions from a position of knowledge in purchasing items that were suitable and fit-for-purpose.
“An import dependent economy like ours brings to fore the need for strong consumer protection policies, laws and regulations that can be useful to hold businesses accountable in their dealings with consumers,” he said.
Today’s event, Mr Owusu-Koranteng said was a fulfilment of a long dream of providing a cost-effective, speedy and non-adversarial opportunity to consumers to seek redress in situations of conflict with business.
The Executive Director of the centre, Nana Prempeh Okogyeabour Aduhene said parties after mediation were expected to sign a consent settlement which was enforceable by any court in the country.
He gave the assurance that the CPA Ghana as an NGO would continue to seek the satisfaction of the Ghanaian consumer and would create cordial relationship between the consumer, manufacturers and service providers alike.
Nana Okogyeabour Aduhene disclosed that plans were underway to open similar centres in Kumasi, Tamale and Takoradi in its effort to bring service delivery to the citizenry.
BY NORMAN COOPER
