Challenges and Accomplishments

Mr. Amr Fahim –Executive Director Rania Shedid – NGOs Coordinator

Mr. Amr Fahim –Executive Director

Rania Shedid – NGOs Coordinator

Mr. Amr Fahim –Executive Director Rania Shedid – International Relations and NGOs Coordinator

Mr. Amr Fahim –Executive Director

Rania Shedid – International Relations and NGOs Coordinator

Educating consumers about their rights, empowering them to practice smart buying behavior Ensuring that business comply with consumer laws, and improve customer relations Helping consumers to resolve complaints Cooperating with governmental enforcement authorities to ensure effective implementation of the Consumer Protection Law Forming social partnerships with consumer organizations and building their capacities to play an important role in consumer protection

Educating consumers about their rights, empowering them to practice smart buying behavior

Ensuring that business comply with consumer laws, and improve customer relations

Helping consumers to resolve complaints

Cooperating with governmental enforcement authorities to ensure effective implementation of the Consumer Protection Law

Forming social partnerships with consumer organizations and building their capacities to play an important role in consumer protection

Consumer Education and Awareness Earning credibility of the public ( both suppliers and consumers) through: Ensuring fair trading at the market level. Maintaining effective response in fighting illicit business and counterfeited and unsafe products. Balancing and strengthening the link between consumers and the market. Promoting, through the purchasing power of consumers, a ‘need oriented development ‘ that will ensure socio-economic justice and environmental quality of life for all

Consumer Education and Awareness

Earning credibility of the public ( both suppliers and consumers) through:

Ensuring fair trading at the market level.

Maintaining effective response in fighting illicit business and counterfeited and unsafe products.

Balancing and strengthening the link between consumers and the market.

Promoting, through the purchasing power of consumers, a ‘need oriented development ‘ that will ensure socio-economic justice and environmental quality of life for all

Coordinating with governmental enforcement bodies in resolving consumer complaints. Establishing market surveillance systems in coordination with enforcement governmental authorities and consumer organizations. Coordinating with International consumer organizations in regards to: Capacity building Learning and sharing best experiences and practices Providing of financial support necessary for: CPA operations Development of consumer organizations Development and empowerment of consumer organizations

Coordinating with governmental enforcement bodies in resolving consumer complaints.

Establishing market surveillance systems in coordination with enforcement governmental authorities and consumer organizations.

Coordinating with International consumer organizations in regards to:

Capacity building

Learning and sharing best experiences and practices

Providing of financial support necessary for:

CPA operations

Development of consumer organizations

Development and empowerment of consumer organizations

Endorsement of Executive regulations Finalizing of the organizational chart and hiring of more than 40 personnel in different areas Finalizing internal regulations with all concerned ministries Conduct awareness program on CPL three main obligations (Receipt, Return Policy, Labeling), through print ads and TV spots

Endorsement of Executive regulations

Finalizing of the organizational chart and hiring of more than 40 personnel in different areas

Finalizing internal regulations with all concerned ministries

Conduct awareness program on CPL three main obligations (Receipt, Return Policy, Labeling), through print ads and TV spots

Establishing CPA headquarters and finalizing renovations in an additional Cairo branch Launch the pilot call center covering all greater Cairo Launch project with the postal authority to avail FREE complaint forms for consumers all over Egypt Handle 1800 complaints with up to 75% success rate Launching of CPA website Begin installation of an additional CPA branch in Egypt’s second largest city

Establishing CPA headquarters and finalizing renovations in an additional Cairo branch

Launch the pilot call center covering all greater Cairo

Launch project with the postal authority to avail FREE complaint forms for consumers all over Egypt

Handle 1800 complaints with up to 75% success rate

Launching of CPA website

Begin installation of an additional CPA branch in Egypt’s second largest city

In establishing strategic International relationships: Government affiliate members at CI Proceeding with partnership requirements with the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) Finalizing membership procedures with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

In establishing strategic International relationships:

Government affiliate members at CI

Proceeding with partnership requirements with the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN)

Finalizing membership procedures with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

In regards to development of consumer organizations: Conducting Consumer Protection and Consumer Organizations Seminar Dividing consumer organizations in Egypt into five main geographical areas/sectors Appointment of a coordinator to each sector, and representation in CPA board of directors. Financing efficient consumer organizations to conduct market research studies Financing the two first issues of a periodical produced by a consumer organization Designing a capacity building plan that aims at developing consumer organizations both generic and technical abilities.

In regards to development of consumer organizations:

Conducting Consumer Protection and Consumer Organizations Seminar

Dividing consumer organizations in Egypt into five main geographical areas/sectors

Appointment of a coordinator to each sector, and representation in CPA board of directors.

Financing efficient consumer organizations to conduct market research studies

Financing the two first issues of a periodical produced by a consumer organization

Designing a capacity building plan that aims at developing consumer organizations both generic and technical abilities.

Consumer Education. Receive, verify and handle consumers’ complaints. Bring legal actions related to consumers’ interests. Present consumer related information to the concerned governmental entities. Assisting in establishing effective market surveillance systems. Carry out market surveys and studies. Establishing an information database. Lobby for issues of common consumer interest.

Consumer Education.

Receive, verify and handle consumers’ complaints.

Bring legal actions related to consumers’ interests.

Present consumer related information to the concerned governmental entities.

Assisting in establishing effective market surveillance systems.

Carry out market surveys and studies.

Establishing an information database.

Lobby for issues of common consumer interest.

The main deficiencies are as follows: Existence of a big number of non-active consumer organizations. Lack of unified work plans and ideology Lack of effective network relationships. Lack of trust and credibility of the public in regards to consumer organizations’ effectiveness and efficiency. Diminished membership base.

The main deficiencies are as follows:

Existence of a big number of non-active consumer organizations.

Lack of unified work plans and ideology

Lack of effective network relationships.

Lack of trust and credibility of the public in regards to consumer organizations’ effectiveness and efficiency.

Diminished membership base.

Lack of the following essential resources: Suitable work venues. Internal governance procedures. Training on consumer protection activities and techniques Well trained, full time personnel. Technical and financial resources necessary for basic daily consumer protection activities. Lack of supporting infrastructure and databases.

Lack of the following essential resources:

Suitable work venues.

Internal governance procedures.

Training on consumer protection activities and techniques

Well trained, full time personnel.

Technical and financial resources necessary for basic daily consumer protection activities.

Lack of supporting infrastructure and databases.

Consumer organizations cannot receive donations from trade industries

Consumer organizations cannot receive donations from trade industries

Capacity building of consumer organizations Launching of consumer organizations’ activities

Capacity building of consumer organizations

Launching of consumer organizations’ activities

Raising the institutional capacities of the consumer organizations- Internal governance, financial management, Advocacy and lobbying power Technical consumer related training on consumer protection services and outreach- Technical assistance is vital given that consumer protection activities are new to Egypt in general and NGOs/ Consumer organizations in specific IT/ Data base infrastructure development

Raising the institutional capacities of the consumer organizations- Internal governance, financial management, Advocacy and lobbying power

Technical consumer related training on consumer protection services and outreach- Technical assistance is vital given that consumer protection activities are new to Egypt in general and NGOs/ Consumer organizations in specific

IT/ Data base infrastructure development

Top Down Approach Following the role model established by developed countries Creating a strong and effective central consumer organization. Delegating all consumer organizations activities to central organization. In coordination with donor agencies, provide Central organization with: - Technical assistance - Financial assistance. Required for the formulation, launching and execution of its work plans

Top Down Approach

Following the role model established by developed countries

Creating a strong and effective central consumer organization.

Delegating all consumer organizations activities to central organization.

In coordination with donor agencies, provide Central organization with:

- Technical assistance

- Financial assistance.

Required for the formulation, launching and execution of its work plans

Bottom Up Approach: Establishing effective network relationships between central organization and local civil organizations all over Egypt Development and Empowerment of supporting local organizations Through a one year plan, providing local organizations with monthly financial allowances, for the execution of their basic activities.

Bottom Up Approach:

Establishing effective network relationships between central organization and local civil organizations all over Egypt

Development and Empowerment of supporting local organizations

Through a one year plan, providing local organizations with monthly financial allowances, for the execution of their basic activities.

Bottom Up Approach (cont’d): To ensure proper guidance and execution, work plans and activities will be pre-determined by CPA in coordination with involved organizations, through abiding Service Level Agreements

Bottom Up Approach (cont’d):

To ensure proper guidance and execution, work plans and activities will be pre-determined by CPA in coordination with involved organizations, through abiding Service Level Agreements

IT/ Machinery and solutions Information data base

IT/ Machinery and solutions

Information data base

Membership base expansion Market researches and studies Publishing of annual reports (company ratings) Publishing of periodicals Providing special services, such as legal services

Membership base expansion

Market researches and studies

Publishing of annual reports (company ratings)

Publishing of periodicals

Providing special services, such as legal services