WINDHOEK – The recent concerns of the World Health Organisation regarding the excessive use of sugar and salt in food consumed in Namibia highlight the need for national and international action to support consumers to choose healthy diets, says the Namibia Consumer Trust (NCT).
“Using a similar mechanism to the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, this new convention would commit governments to a package of measures that would support healthier diets including reducing high levels of fat, sugar and salt in processed foods, restricting food marketing to children and ensuring consumers have clear nutrition information at the point of choice,” the NCT said in a statement to mark World Consumer Rights Day on Sunday March 15.
“The Namibian Government has been working on the food safety policy and bill for many years, but these activities are yet to be finalised. It shows that our government needs to take immediate measures – for instance to cause reduction of salt, sugar and fat in everyday foods, introducing a soda and salt tax while improving food in schools,” said the NCT.
The NCT called on the incoming government to avoid the mistake made over the years by the current government whereby no single ministry took responsibility for comprehensive consumer protection in Namibia.
“Subsequently there is no comprehensive consumer protection and even in sectors where there is protection, officials failed miserably. For example the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) found that Namibia’s biggest mobile services provider MTC violated the communications act several times, but did not issue penalties, thus did not enforce the law. This is evidence that even in sectors such as communication, banking and non-banking, consumer protection has failed, thus a new law is needed.
“The food safety bill at the Ministry of Health and Social Services should be finalised and brought to parliament so that a comprehensive consumer protection act be passed. The lack of comprehensive consumer protection is detrimental to Namibian-based businesses as they cannot compete with their counterparts since foreign investors might come from environments where consumers are protected and well understood. This gives them a clear advantage in marketing their products and services to Namibians,” stated the NCT.