COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
124
Consumer Protection
Consumer Council
The Consumer Council is a statutory body established in April 1974 for protecting and promoting the interests of consumers of goods and services and purchasers of immovable property. The council comprises a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and 20 members appointed by the Government from a wide spectrum of the community. It forms committees and working groups to deal with specific consumer-protection tasks. The council office is headed by a chief executive, and has eight functional divisions and a staff of 126.
The council seeks to empower consumers and strives for a fair market through its consumer policy work, complaint and advice service, research and survey programmes, publication and consumer education activities.
As an advocate of fair competition, the council works closely with the Government, particularly the Competition Policy Advisory Group, by reviewing business practices that may have implications on market competition. During the year, the council responded to a number of complaints and carried out general research on alleged anti-competitive business practices. A number of papers were published and submissions made to the Government, including a comprehensive research report on the supply and demand for school textbooks and other related issues. The council continued its efforts throughout the year in encouraging the development of effective codes of practice that will benefit consumers and business alike.
The council's testing and survey programmes seek to provide consumers with objective and up-to-date information so that they can make informed choices. During the year, 39 product tests, 52 in-depth studies and 16 survey projects were completed. Most products were tested mainly for their safety, performance, convenience, durability and environmental impact. The tests included a wide range of items, from air conditioners, child car seats to health products.
The council provides a complaint and advice service to the consumer public through an extensive network of telephone hotlines and 12 consumer advice centres. In resolving substantiated complaints, the council acted as mediator between consumers and the traders concerned. During the year, 20 798 consumer complaints were received, representing the second highest figure on record.
The council is practically in daily contact with the mass media on all matters of consumer interest, with its regular press interviews and briefings, consumer columns in newspapers and appearances on television and radio programmes. Its monthly magazine, Choice, regularly publishes findings of comparative product tests and service surveys providing useful and practical information, advice and viewpoints on a wide range of consumer issues and concerns. The magazine's reach extends far beyond its average monthly circulation of around 35 530. Through the extensive coverage in the media and press statements on the council's web site, the council penetrates virtually all sectors of the community.
The second Consumer Culture Study Award organised during the year encouraged secondary school students to conduct their own study of local consumer culture. A total of 254 teams of students from 68 schools participated in the award, a 50 per cent increase over the previous year.