Latest News

CCPC Seizes Goods Worth k23, 000 in Chinsali

2020-02-10

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in collaboration with the Chinsali Municipal Council (CMC) has seized assorted goods worth twenty three thousand kwacha (K23, 000). This follows a joint inspection conducted at Chinsali Central Business District.

The seized items had defects and therefore, did not meet the mandatory product information standards set by section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) No. 24 of 2010 and the Food and Drugs Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act Cap 303 of the Laws of Zambia.

Defects on the seized items included insufficient labels, expired products while others did not have expiry dates. Other seized items had inappropriate packaging and some had broken seals.

The products seized include Coca-Cola Zero, Super Maheu and Twist Carbonated drink. 

The seizure of the goods was conducted during a routine inspection of trading premises in Muchinga Province with the view of ascertaining the traders’compliance levels with the Competition and Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) No.24 of 2010.

The Commission would like to warn all suppliers, retailers and distributors to seize selling unsuitable products which have exceeded or are close to reaching their shelf life especially to rural areas.

Traders are further advised to abide by the law and desist from engaging in unfair trading practices or any conduct that erode consumer welfare. Further, the Commission would like to advice consumers countrywide to be proactive and report perpetrators of both anti-competitive business behavior and unfair trading practices to the Commission.

Rainford Mutabi

Cement Price Hike Investigations Still Ongoing

2020-01-17

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is still undertaking its investigations regarding the simultaneous and synchronized hike of prices in the cement sector.

CCPC has in the recent days been receiving press queries and calls from the media following a press statement which was released by Lafarge on the dawn raid that was conducted by CCPC last Tuesday at Lafarge Cement Manufacturing Company in Chilanga.

The Commission is alive to the fact that the media plays a pivotal role in informing Consumers and Zambians at large especially on matters that are core to the growth of Zambia’s economy.

Thus, CCPC wishes to urge the general public and the media that information relating to findings obtained from the raid will be communicated to them when investigations are concluded.

However, CCPC would like to acknowledge that the content of the press statement by Lafarge was true as the company was compliant with all investigation proceedings at the time of the raid.

Rainford Mutabi

CCPC Cautions the Public against Online Notification Prize Scam.

2020-01-16

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) would like to warn the general public to be cautious of the false Coca-Cola/British Tobacco South Africa official notification prize which is circulating online requesting Consumers to submit their personal information.

According to the Commission’s preliminary investigation, the scam indicates that Coca-Cola in collaboration with the British American Tobacco South Africa Company had conducted an annual draw on 25th November, 2019 which involved a random selection of 20 winners for a prize of £50,000 each, out of over 250,000 emails collected worldwide from individuals and corporate bodies respectively. 

CCPC has discovered that the notification in question is untrue and that there is no such draw which was conducted by the Coca-Cola/British Tobacco South Africa contrary to what the scam purports. 

Thus, CCPC is warning all Zambians to consider withholding their personal details by ensuring that they ascertain the authenticity of any online notification before they give out their details as failure to do so may expose them to internet scams and fraudsters.

Consumers should also ensure that information such as their age, sex, name, address, contact number, country and occupation are kept as confidential as possible.

CCPC also wishes to warn all individuals or enterprises who are in a habit of perpetuating the dissemination of content aimed at misleading consumers to desist from such conduct as that is punishable by law.

CCPC has further notified the National Consumer Commission of South Africa (NCC) over the matter in order to raise awareness and ensure that the South African citizenry is protected from such fraudulent conduct.

Rainford Mutabi

CCPC currently investigating Cement price increase

2020-01-09

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) would like to inform the general public that it has been investigating the recent simultaneous increases in the prices of cement in the country contrary to media reports that it has remained mute while cement producers hike prices and exploit consumers. 

CCPC advises that it has been actively monitoring the prices of cement over six months. Our cement price surveillance has revealed that a bag of cement is currently trading between K95 to K100 across all brands. The Commission is concerned with the collective and synchronized increase in the price of cement. 

However, the Commission is alive to the fact that the price of electricity and fuel has increased and will take due consideration of this factor in its investigations. 

The Commission is however disappointed with stakeholders that continue to rush to the media to make ill-informed comments on matters under active investigation to a point of jeopardizing such investigations. Cartel investigations are criminal in nature and require painstaking evidence to prove violation of the law beyond reasonable doubt but when there are comments by stakeholders, it places suspects on high alert thereby compromising prospects of making meaningful headway.

We would like to encourage all stakeholders with information regarding collusion in any sector of the economy to always bring it to the Commission first.

Rainford Mutabi