National Consumer Protection Program (Myanmar)

In Myanmar, Department of Consumer Affairs formulated the National Consumer Protection Program (NCPP) with the support of the GIZ. The main purposes of NCPP are to create a sound environment to ensure the safety of consumers regarding goods or services; to strengthen institutions (governmental and non-governmental) responsible for consumer protection and build the capacities of officials, inspectors and consumer advocates; to ensure consumer are sufficiently well-informed and empowered; and to enhance the accessibility, effectiveness and efficiency of the consumer redress system throughout the country.

To achieve the objectives of the NCPP, a series of workshops were organized and these workshops served to gather feedback and suggestions from different stakeholders, such as commissioners, relevant ministries, DOCA officials and consumer advocates. As a result of these discussions, it was agreed that the NCPP shall cover the five core processes namely, (a) Developing and Supporting Consumer Protection Policies; (b) Consumer Education; (c) Communication and Cooperation; (d) Market Surveillance; and (e) Consumer Redress. Under the NCPP, Strategic measures and 36 action lines have been adopted. To implement the initiatives under the NCPP, a period of five years from 2021 to 2025 is envisaged.