14th March, 2017 The Ministry of Commerce, Consumer, Trade, Innovation and Labour’s (MCCTIL) Consumer Affairs Division is joining Consumers International and Consumer Organisations worldwide in celebrating the World Consumer Rights day on the 15th March, 2017.
The World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) is an annual occasion for celebration, impact and global solidarity within the international consumer movement.
This year, the WCRD campaign is on the theme “Building a Digital World Consumers Can Trust”. Consumers International (CI) has focused on this theme in order to urge stakeholders to protect and empower consumers in building trust when using digital technology. The day is aiming to create a Better Digital World by promoting better digital access and choice, online security, clear and informed choices, and online redress.
As part of the campaign, the Consumer Affairs Division of MCCTIL has taken the initiative to raise awareness of the Tongan consumers on the challenges relating to access and choice and online security and how this can be mitigated. Newspaper Publications, Radio jingles has been published and implemented this week. TV and Radio Talk-back programs have been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday 15th March, to coincide with the World Consumer Rights Day.
The advent of digital technology and the internet have changed consumers’ lives dramatically. The speed in which this has occurred has meant in some areas changes in the digital marketplace are outpacing consumer protection. There is evidence people are worried about many aspects of what is happening when they go online.
Consumers are concerned about how secure their data is. Individuals are interested to know what is happening to their data online and how companies use their information that are provided by them online.
We need to comprehend how to improve the quality of services, which online services can we trust, what happens to the data consumers share online and what consumers’ rights are in relation to digital products.
We are seeking to achieve the goal of informing the Consumers how to stay safe and secure online.
ENDS
For further enquiries please contact:
Consumer Affairs Division @ 24 306 or 23 688 ext 105/106
Ministry of Commerce, Consumer, Trade, Innovation and Labor