Ugandan traders have asked the Ministry of trade and other relevant agencies to confiscate an anonymous amount of underweight sugar allegedly from Luwero based Victoria Sugar Ltd which is being sold to members of the public and arrest the factory perpetrators.
According to sugar dealers from down town in Uganda’s Capital Kampala, the bags allegedly labelled ‘Victoria sugar brand’, supposed to be 50kg bags of sugar were found to be weighing 45 kg and others more less.
The traders say this is not the first time such complaints are flooding sugar markets in the country especially Kampala and some upcountry areas, and they have appealed to the government to investigate these vices.
Recently, another video clip has been circulating on social media channels showing another company’s sugar bags with underweight sugar and according to the clip, the bags in store weighed less than 50kgs which is labeled.
Located at Plot No – 7, Ndibulungi Village, Luweero, central Uganda, some traders claim that even some bags labeled to weigh 25kgs are underweight by less than five kgs, an allegation we couldn’t verify independently.
Traders claim that amidst the skyrocketing prices in Uganda, consumers both direct and indirect, have continued to pay the price for the lack of consumer protection laws and which costs them possible clients who run to other brands.
It is also alleged that such practices hinder national development as traders and buyers resort to importing since imported products are regarded as highly checked and of standard quality including actual weight which cuts across all products.
We could not anyone from the factory as the known numbers for the officers at the Luwero based factory were unreachable by press time.
Government has recurrently come out to reassure the public that it's managing the situation, although there seems to be no clear plan of how the consumers will eventually be protected. To this extent, it is only fair to ask the Government whose interest she is serving! The answer to this question should be to allow the citizens to manage their expectations.
‘’The consumer protection laws will ensure that buyers of goods and services are protected from coercion, deception, and other influences that are difficult to evade or guard against’’, said one of the traders.
Whereas the government has tried to put in place laws and institutions to help protect the consumer like the Uganda National Bureau Standard Act Cap 32, the Weight and Measures Act Cap 103, the Foods and Drugs Act Cap 278, the Contract Act among others and institutions like the Uganda National Bureau of Standard, the Uganda Consumer Protection Association, the Uganda Communication Commission, there has been very little tangible results.
Although the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, Directorate of Crime Intelligence, among other agencies have tried to crack down on dealers of counterfeit and substandard goods and services in the market, there have been limited results realized since the market is still flooded with the same goods and services.
Experts say consumer literacy regarding identifying goods and services which are of quality and those of poor quality and how they can enforce their rights is still a big challenge.
‘’There is, therefore, the need for the government to mainstream consumer protection laws to uplift the rights of the consumers and also sensitize consumers of their rights. There is also the need to address the question of corruption among the enforcement agencies and the other agencies responsible for the entry of goods in the country. This move will help to build trust and confidence of consumers and help consumers to understand their obligations’’, said one of the trader leaders in Kampala.
Experts say largely, lack of political will in creation and operationalizing Consumer Protection laws in Uganda has exposed consumers to unfair products, fraudulent pricing, insufficient information to exercise a prudent buying decision and under weighted products like sugar.
TheUgandan policies govern trade practices, including product weights and measurements. It prohibits deceptive practices such as packing underweight goods and services.
The policies safeguard consumers’ rights and interests. Selling underweight goods is illegal under Ugandan policies, as it deprives customers of their rightful amounts and reduces their value for money. Government has always warned businesses that are allegedly selling underweight products.
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