Cpa Egypt Fringe Fahim Shedid

Challenges and Accomplishments

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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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• 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.

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Consumer organizations cannot receive donations from trade industries

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Capacity building of consumer organizations Launching of consumer organizations’

activities

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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IT/ Machinery and solutions Information data base

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Membership base expansion Market researches and studies Publishing of annual reports (company

ratings) Publishing of periodicals Providing special services, such as legal

services

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