Dubai - MENA Herald: The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai has launched a "Consumer Empowerment Index," the first of its kind in the region, to gauge the level of awareness among consumers regarding their rights and responsibilities as well as to take consumer awareness to a higher level of ‘consumer consciousness.’ The move is in line with the best practices in European Commission, which was the first to introduce a similar index, and is also part of DED’s efforts to promote transparency and neutrality in merchant-consumer relations, which in turn will enhance ease of doing business in Dubai.
Dubai is the only place to launch a Consumer Empowerment Index other than the European Commission now. DED will release the index during the fourth quarter of every year after evaluating consumer awareness based on the following criteria: consumer skills, awareness of consumer protection laws and regulations, and consumer engagement. Each criteria will have sub-themes to gather as much data as possible and enhance accuracy and objectivity of the index.
His Excellency Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of DED, said: “The Consumer Empowerment Index will have a pivotal role in eliminating negative practices from the local market and improving the business environment in Dubai, particularly the retail and services sectors. When buyers know and assert their rights malpractices in the purchasing process will come down and corrective action will be fast and efficient.”
Al Qamzi said consumer empowerment is critical to the economic development strategy of Dubai and added that harmonious relations between traders and consumers will support sustainability and competitiveness of doing business in the emirate. DED will evaluate consumer behaviour in the various geographic areas within Dubai to complement new legislation and administrative procedures required.
Over the past two years, DED and its Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector has sharpened focus onproviding a competitive and healthy environment for traders and trademark owners through a number of initiatives such as ‘Self Inspector,’ which helps businesses to evaluate their level of compliance with regulations themselves. The initiatives have led to improved awareness on regulations and requirements among traders, and helped them avoid irregularities and penalties.
Mohammed Ali Rashid Lootah, CEO of CCCP, commented: "The Consumer Empowerment Index will reflect the level of consumer awareness among various age groups, nationalities, income, and residential areas. It will help us understand the consumer culture in different areas, design awareness programmes appropriate for the target audiences, and further empower consumers.”
CCCP will start rolling out the awareness campaigns by early 2017. “Our goal is to reach out to as much consumers as possible with sustained campaigns that reflect our goal and vision. The mechanisms may vary depending on the groups targeted but the objective will always be to fill awareness gaps and empower consumers to claim their full rights,” said Lootah, adding that the index will reflect the high quality standards and best practices upheld by CCCP is services provided to the business community and the public.
