Abstract:
To protect consumer, Ethiopia enacted consumer law in different times. In 2003, the Trade
Practice proclamation enacted with limited consumer rights provisions. In 2010, trade practice
and consumer protection proclamation enacted with new enforcing institutions, more
comprehensive and repealed the previous proclamation. In 2013, other new proclamation
enacted with amendment of the previous one and with more consumer rights provisions and
adding enforcing institution to the trade practice and consumer protection proclamation. Even
though the country enacted consumer law and institutions to enforce law, consumer law not
properly enforced and its goal not achieved in the country. This is what we see from current
market crisis in the country at the whole and in Ambo Town, in particular. Even though
consumer law enacted and amended in different times, there are many problems for consumer
law properly and effectively to enforce. Under this study the qualitative research method
employed. The research use both the doctrinal and non- doctrinal. The study used in the both
primary and secondary sources of data. The Primary sources like interviews, questionnaires and
observation for gathering data and to get reliable information and also use somewhat reliable
answer. The secondary sources like books, journals, articles, published and unpublished
materials are used in the study. The study revealed that there is consumer right violation in
Ambo Town and consumer not protected properly. The study revealed that there is legal and
practical problems consumer protection in Ethiopia. The study explore consumer protection
problems in Ambo Town, West Shoa Zone. These are includes Improperly enforcing consumer
law, Lack of awareness of consumer law, Lack of coordination and cooperation of enforcing
organs. The other problems are the prevalence of unfair trade practice, Lack of regulation and
directives and Absence of the regional consumer law. At the end, study ended with the
conclusion and recommendation that there shall need strong institution to enforce consumer law
and need of cooperation of protecting consumers in enforcing organs.
