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CSO, media meet to promote consumer rights

 

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) yesterday organised a day-long workshop in Blantyre where civil society leaders and media representatives met to promote consumer rights.

The participants were expected to discuss the role of the civil society in consumer protection, involvement of the media and civil society in information, communication and technology (ICT) and the role of Macra’s consumer affairs unit.

Macra Director General Andrew Kumbatira
Macra Director General Andrew Kumbatira

Macra director general Andrew Kumbatira said it was a great opportunity for the participants to bang heads and share notes on promoting basic rights of consumers.

He said it was important to ensure that consumers demand their rights and have them protected against market abuses and social injustices.

Kumbatirs said consumers were now interested in the economics of services such as affordable airtime and data charges.

He said: “Macra has an obligation to protect consumers or users of communication services.”

He said it was, however, disheartening that in the face of abuse at the hands of various operators consumers remain quiet.

In December 2014 the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) reported that relative to other economies in the region, Malawians pay the highest tariffs to access communications services.

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