Department of Fair Trading and Consumer Affairs

OBJECTIVES

The mission of Fair Trading and Consumer Affairs Department is to:

q       Promote and enhance a trading environment for consumers and businesses in which all  participants are treated fairly and equitably,

q       Prevent inferior, sub-standard, unhealthy, unsafe and poor quality products from entering  the market place; and

q       Promote technological infrastructure for standardisation, quality assurance, research and  reliability of Fiji-made products and services.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Department is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the following legislations:

National and Trade Measurement Decree 1989 and its associated regulations, namely:

·         National and Trade Measurement Regulations 1989

·         (Pre-packed Articles) (Packaging) Regulations 1989

·         Bread Regulations 1989; and

·         Misleading Markings and Deceptive Packaging Regulations 1989.

This Decree provides for:

Ø       Control and use of measuring instruments through periodic inspections.  This is to establish whether or not such instruments furnish fair and just measure readings and the units of measure used are in compliance with the prescribed Fiji legal Units of Measurement.

Ø       Licensing of measuring instruments, repairers and sellers;

Ø      Maintenance of Fiji’s Primary, Secondary and Reference Standards of Measurement;

Ø       Marking and Labeling of pre-packed articles;

Ø       Checking accuracy of purported quantity in pre-packed articles.

Trade Standards and Quality Control Decree 1992

The Decree is intended to:

·         Ensure that goods and services sold are of an acceptable and uniform standard;

·         Remove from the market place any dangerous and unsafe goods;

·         Ensure that warning statements are issued on any dangerous or unsafe goods

Fair Trading Decree 1992 (and Amendment Act 1998)

This Decree aims to:

·         Protect consumers from unfair business practices;

·        Safeguard the interests of small businesses from unfair treatment by large corporations; These provisions are now administered by the Commerce Commission and to

·         Prohibit business activities that substantially lessen competition in the market.

Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act 1998

The Act provides for investigations into alleged dumped and subsidised goods and imposition of dumping and countervailing duties where appropriate.

Consumer Credit Act 1999

The purpose of the Act is to provide a legal framework for the provision of credit by credit providers.

Real Estate Agents Act 2006

This is an Act to make provision for the regulation of Real Estate Agents and for related matters, such as:

• Establish Licensing Board;
• Registrar of Real Estate Agents;
• Licensing of Real Estate Agents;
• Approval of Branch Managers, Salespersons;
• Duties of Real Estate Agents;
• Disciplinary Powers of the Board.

ACTIVITIES

These legislations require the Department to take an active role in:

q       Conducting on going consultations with all the interested parties including trade, industry and consumer organisations;

q      Advising consumers and various sectors of trade and industry of their rights and obligations under the Legislation administered by the Department;

q       Establishment of appropriate standards for goods and services;

q       Educating the community on fair trading and consumer issues; and

q      Ensuring that staff is adequately trained to efficiently carry out the functions of the Department.

q       Carrying out investigations on consumer and trader complaints on alleged breaches of the legislation and where appropriate take enforcement action.