In a bid to ensure the safety and protection of consumables and non-consumables, the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) certified a select public and private business it deems as deserving of such certification.
The certification took place at the Headquarters of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) at Fort Street. It followed a discussion between staff of the agency and awardees on the way forward.
A detailed presentation by the Coordinator of CPA was made including various activities undertaken to educate both producers and consumers, on basic safety regulations. This included a session on how to improve on standards of production and storage of consumables and non-consumables. CPA has over the years, undertaken community sensitization on basic food handling and safety in schools within the Western Area. These, it maintains, are being done the public interest.
Giving his keynote talk, the President and Chief Executive of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), Ibrahim Kabbia commended members who, he noted responded to the CPA call at short notice, referring to their move as “an encouragement to awardees and a stimulant for others to emulate the examples of the awardees”.
He pointed out that most times business people see consumer activists as “nuisances”, while consumer activists see business people as “rogues and cheats” who care only about making profit at the expense of customer care.
Mr. Kabbia explained that the CPA was established in 1995 to promote trade and commerce and at the same time seek the welfare of the public, in terms of safety, storage and hygiene of both food and non-food items.
He disclosed that the certification exercise was made possible a-three month survey of businesses operating in the Western Area.
He thanked the awardees for maintaining standards, noting that the certificate is valued for one year only, and after a year, they would be re-evaluated and re-certificated if they maintain or improve on consumer protection and safety standards.
“This means you have to consider the certification exercise as a serious annual event during which hard work through compliance is recognized,” Director Kabbia urged.
He called on businesses dealing in food and beverages to particularly maintain and improve on safety standards, noting that the consumables they sell to consumers go as final products and are not usually checked before consumption.
The President of the CPA appealed to members to improve on their collaboration and partnerships with the agency, in order to enable its 200-man- workforce to do their work more efficiently.
A trade unionist, Aaron Boima commended staff of CPA for the initiative which he said will serve as incentive to businesses and ensure the upholding of rules and regulations of safety and protection of food and beverages in particular. He noted that the certification will also serve as motivation for others to improve on safety standards in the way they do business.
He congratulated the recipients and advised that they continue the good work, while encouraging others to emulate the good examples of the awardees for a healthy trade and commerce in the country.
The Sierra Leone Roads Authority, EDSA, Leocem, King Foods, Gulf beverages, Intrapex, Monoprix, Freetown and T. Choithrams Supermarkets, including petroleum outlets in the Western Area where among the awardees.
By Ade Campbell
Tuesday February 09, 2016
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