Volunteers to spy on traders

24 January 2011 04:45 pm

Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is creating a voluntary consumer society in every town to spy on unlawful traders, Minister of Trade Johnston Fernando said.

“We can no longer do it alone we need the public to tip us of the unlawful traders and we will take them to book,” Minister Fernando said. According to him the CAA will help create a database of voluntary members from each town to spy and report to them about traders who cheat the public.

Minister Fernando said that although it was a punishable offence that many traders do not display a price list for their goods.

The Ministry invited members of the public to contact the CAA and register themselves as members of the voluntary consumer society, Minister Fernando said. The Minister hopes that this initiative will help the CAA achieve its goal for 2011 which is to file 6000 cases per month against unlawful traders, Minister Fernando said.

Meanwhile the CAA will be recruiting another 65 officers in an attempt to expand their raiding officers, Minister Fernando said. (Sumaiya Rizvi)