Consumer Protection : Know Your Rights

Building the ASEAN Community

Consumer Protection
Know Your Rights

Challenges for public and policy as well as regulatory issues associated with consumer protection will become more important as a rapid urbanisation and growing middle class in ASEAN will continue to drive higher levels of consumer spending and greater demand for goods and services.

Growing population and better economic opportunities in the region will bring about larger proportion of the middle class population which is projected to rise double to 400 million people in 20201 . Recent report by Nielson2 also shows that consumers in the region show the highest level of optimism globally. This rapid growth of middle class and consumer market will create stronger demand for more transparent and better access to information of consumer products and services.

Current regional initiatives on consumer protection include enhancing consumer access to information by developing a notification and information exchange mechanism for recalled/banned products; strengthening the capacity of consumer protection officials and enhancing advocacy of consumer protection. An online portal has also been created to further facilitate consumer complaint channel receive claims and complaints from consumers and provide information on recalled or banned products of each of the ASEAN Member State.

For more information, please visit http://www.aseanconsumer.org/ or send an email to aimo@asean.org

Source: asean.org