Call to advance the consumer protection agenda

Delegates at the 28th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection (ACCP) were called on to take a firm and pragmatic approach to advance the consumer protection agenda within the region.

Acting Permanent Secretary (Economy, Trade and Industry) at the Ministry of Finance and Economy Mohammad Harris bin Brigadier General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim emphasised this during the welcoming lunch for delegates of the ACCP and related meetings yesterday.

He stressed the need to strategise the way forward post 2025 to ensure that consumers are more empowered with increased rights to safety and choice.

He also called for consumers to be provided with accurate information to make informed decisions and be given the right to be heard.

The acting permanent secretary noted the ACCP achievements over the years in implementing the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for Consumer Protection 2025, including cross-border cooperation, consumer protection and capacity building activities with increased engagement from development partners. Despite these achievements, he stressed the importance of being more adaptive and innovative, given the ever-evolving landscape of digitisation and cross-border transactions.

Senior officials from ASEAN member states’ consumer protection agencies, along with representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, observers from Timor-Leste and ACCP’s development partners, attended the welcoming luncheon hosted by the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics.

The delegates are in the capital for the four-day 28th Meeting of the ACCP.