Senate committee to pursue amendments to Consumer Act

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship vows to pursue amendments to the Consumer Act being pushed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to empower and protect consumers.

Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship chairman Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said yesterday his committee would immediately act once it receives a draft bill for amendments to Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines from the DTI.

“Strengthening the Consumer Act will further empower our citizens in the purchase of goods and services,” he said.

Earlier, the DTI said it is pushing for amendments to the Consumer Act to ensure that consumers are protected from substandard items.

Among the proposed amendments is to raise the penalties for violations of the Consumer Act to deter manufacturers and retailers from engaging in the sale of products which do not comply with the government’s product standards.

The DTI wants to increase the minimum fine to P50,000 from P500 and the maximum penalty to P1 million from P300,000.

Apart from imposing higher penalties, the DTI wants to expand the membership of the private-public National Consumer Affairs Council to make it more effective in policy framing and addressing the needs of consumers.

The DTI likewise wants to include online commerce-related practices in the scope of the law and the regulatory duty of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Aquino said several consumer complaints have been made involving substandard products and inefficient service.

“Our consumers have worked hard to earn a living and they deserve to get value for their money,” he said.

As such, it is necessary to immediately pursue amendments to the law.

“This must not wait because consumer protection is paramount and should be prioritized,” he added.