Consumer Protection in Ethiopia: The Case of Ambo Town, West Shoa Zone

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trade practice and consumer protection proclamation enacted with new enforcing institutions, more comprehensive and repealed the previous proclamation.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 The secondary sources like books, journals, articles, published and unpublished materials are used in the study.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.