Praneeta Prakash 
Seema Shandil [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]
The Consumer Council is pushing for stronger powers to expose repeat offenders and better protect Fijians from cybercrime, online scams, and internet bullying.
Chief Executive Seema Shandil said the current Consumer Protection Act, introduced in 1976 was outdated and no longer fit to deal with modern digital threats.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Shandil said they want the power to name and shame rogue traders and alert consumers.
[Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]
“We want some powers as well where we are able to name and shame some offenders, but especially the repeat offenders, so that consumers are alerted, they are aware of these rogue traders or retailers or scammers as well.”
The Council, according to Shandil is working with the Asian Development Bank and UNDP to overhaul the law and design new regulations targeting scams and fraud.
[Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]
“If we see there’s an issue out there, we do go out and make public announcements and raise alerts. And we currently, with the assistance of UNDP, are working on reviewing and developing new regulations around scams and frauds.”
As online risks grow, the Council stated that urgent legal reforms are needed to keep up and protect consumers from abuse.
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