Business Report’s Donwald Pressly:

“The final touches to legislation that hugely expands the concept of consumer rights in South Africa were carried out by the national assembly’s trade and industry committee this week.

The Consumer Protection Bill, which is now ready to go to a plenary of the national assembly before being considered by the national council of provinces, will allow consumers to direct complaints about any goods and services to a new consumer commission “without a whole lot of red tape”, according to ANC MP Ben Turok. He described the move as a “far-reaching” entrenchment of consumer rights.

He said the existing complaint mechanisms of professions and trades tended to be defensive of providers of services. The bill would mean that if a financial planner gave a consumer the wrong advice, the consumer would have the right of redress, including compensation. “If an engineer designs a faulty retaining wall, the engineer will have to rebuild the wall.”

The committee has completed weeks of public hearings and deliberations on the bill, which now makes all providers of services – such as lawyers, brokers, financial service providers, doctors and even engineers – accountable to consumers.”

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