The Consumers’ Movement celebrates the World Consumers’ Rights Day on 15th March every year, as a means of raising global awareness about consumers’ rights and needs. Celebrating this day is a chance to demand that the rights of all consumers are respected and protected, and to protest against market abuses and social injustices, which undermine those rights.
The World Consumers’ Rights Day was inspired by President John F Kennedy, who sent a special message to the US Congress on 15th March 1962, in which he formally addressed the issue of consumers rights. He was the first world leader to do so. The Consumers’ Movement first marked that date in 1983 and since then, this day is celebrated every year to mobilise actions on important issues and campaigns.
Every year, the Consumers’ Movement unites every year to highlight a pressing issue facing consumers globally. This year, the Membership of Consumers International – 200 consumer groups in 100 countries – selected Fair Digital Finance as our global theme.
By 2024, digital banking consumers are expected to exceed 3.6 billion. In the developing world, the proportion of account owners sending and receiving payments digitally has grown from 57% in 2014 to 70% in 2017. Digital finance brings new opportunities but there are also new risks that can lead to unfair outcomes for consumers. Digital finance can increase the likelihood that the most vulnerable are left behind.
This World Consumers’ Rights Day will spark the first-ever global conversation on the consumer vision for fair digital finance. CAP urges the government to change its import regime in order to allow more competition in the market and therefore
In Mauritius, the Consumer Advocacy Platform (CAP) has made a request to the authorities on the side-lines of World Consumer Rights Day. The, allow consumers to benefit from more advantageous prices.
In addition of the extension of subsidies on many more products, CAP believes that encouraging parallel imports could be one of the solutions to relieve the burden on consumers. Up on most, during this period of global gloom, accentuated by the war in Ukraine, many households, especially those with low incomes, will be heavily impacted by the rise in the prices of essential products. The CAP therefore recommends that the government implement the recommendations of Dr. Ana Maria Pacon, whose services had been retained to assess the socio-economic impact of the international exhaustion of trademark rights.
