Business
CFTC warns traders over Covid-19 cure misconceptions
February 23, 2021 / Wahard Betha
The Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) has warned traders in the country to stop claiming that some of their products cure the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
CFTC Executive Director James Kaphale says in a statement that it is unfortunate that some traders in the country have been promoting and marketing certain products as cure or treatment for Covid-19 but currently no Covid-19 cure has been identified and approved by World Health Organization (WHO).
Kaphale says: “According to international health authorities, there is no clinically tested and approved product which can cure Covid-19.”
“Any trader found presenting that their product can cure Covid-19 would be violating the Competition and Fair Trading Act and the Consumer Protection Act.”
“Similarly, any trader found pricing excessively would be infringing the law.”
One of the mandates for the Commission is to protect Malawians from unfair trading practices.
Kaphale, therefore, says since the outbreak of the pandemic, CFTC has been actively monitoring the market and inspecting business premises to ensure that opportunistic pharmaceuticals companies and traders were not taking advantage of the pandemic to infringe on the rights of consumers.
He says during the campaign, the Commission observed that some pharmaceuticals companies and traders were taking advantage of the pandemic to exploit consumers through deceptive conduct and excessive pricing of essential personal protective equipment (PPEs) used in the management of Covid-19.
Kaphale says: “To deal with the suspected infringements, the Commission has instituted formal investigations against five pharmaceutical companies and traders.”
“The Commission will impose stiff sanctions against any pharmaceutical company or trader found engaging in deceptive practices or any other trade malpractices such as excessive pricing in the supply of products used in the management of Covid-19.”
Meanwhile, Kaphale has appealed to consumers to observe laid down health rules as a way of mitigating the spread of Covid-19.
The Malawi Government reduced tax on any essential imported products used in the management of Covid-19 pandemic including hand sanitizers, face masks, hand washing soaps, oxygen and oxygen regulators.
Malawi has registered over 30 thousand covid-19 cases, with total deaths at 1021 and total recovery at 17184.
During the second wave of the pandemic, majority of the confirmed cases are from local transmissions which means abiding by preventive measures could be a remedy to tame spread of the virus in the country.
According to section 43 (1)(d) of the CFTC, a person shall not, in relation to a consumer, engage in conduct that is likely to mislead the public as to the nature, price, availability, characteristics, suitability for a given purpose, quantity or quality of any products or services.
Further section 43 (1)(g) of the CFTC explains that a person shall not, in relation to a consumer, engage in unconscionable conduct in trade of goods and services.
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The establishment of a stable and self-sustaining ecosystem, but not necessarily the one that existed before mining began. In many cases, complete restoration may be impossible, but successful remediation, reclamation, and rehabilitation can result in the timely establishment of a functional ecosystem.
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