By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK Consumer abuse in Namibia is rampant, with most businesses displaying “the I don’t care” attitude towards customers, forgetting the basic fact that without customers no business would ever survive. Speaking on the eve of World Consumer Rights Day, being commemorated today, the Executive Director of the Namibian Consumers Association, Michael Gaweseb, said most Namibians do not know their rights. And, because of this, most service providers take advantage and treat clients unfairly. The culture of consumer-care is non-existent in most cases. He called on service-providers to always apply ethics whenever they deal with their customers. “They need to improve on their services. We are keeping an eye on them and it won’t be too long before we will start taking action against them,” he warned. He referred to the much talked-about bank charges, adding that banks need to greatly improve on transparency. Despite all the complaints from the public, banks have not made any efforts to reduce their charges. “We are keen to see what the Competition Commission’s Findings and Recommendations will be when it starts to operate. We appeal to the Ministry of Trade and Industry to finalize the establishment of the Commission,” he said. Gaweseb also touched on the telecommunication sector, which he says has subjected consumers to network congestions for a long time despite the high cost of service. The Executive Director also condemned the Coca Cola company for imposing their adverts on school-going children. Coca Cola is engaged in a project whereby it provides schools with brown paper that can be used to cover school books. Similar to its marketing slogan ‘Live on the Coke Side of Life’, learners’ school books are covered with the slogan ‘Learning on the Coke Side of Life’. In his view, Gaweseb says children, unlike adults, are exposed to such kinds of messages every day but they are unaware about the advantages and disadvantages associated with the consumption of such a product. “Mind you, a campaign such as yours may have psychological advantages for you when those kids grow up. The question is, how ethical is that kind of advertising?” he stated. Gaweseb called on food retailers to be fair to all consumers in the country. He says that some retailers fail to supply to other areas such as Katutura goods that are found in the Central Business District. Some furniture shops, he argued, fail to honour guarantees made when products are purchased. In the medical fraternity, cases of unfair treatment of patients abound, with many doctors forgetting about ethics in this profession and practise, what he termed, “doctor shopping.” In the same vein, the Executive Director called on drug manufacturers and their promoters to stop being unethical in their drug promotion, especially that of drugs with severe side effects. “Government is requested to enforce regulations rigorously in accordance with the National and Global codes for ethical drug promotion”, he said. The Namibian Consumers Association would like to welcome the Biosafety Act of 2006, even though it does not explicitly make provision for consumer representation on the seven-member Council. “We, however, hope that public hearings and or submissions the act provides for, will be seriously considered as an avenue through which we can air our concerns. We are aware about the country’s commitment to the WTO, the Carthagena Protocol, etc., but we believe the country should retain its right to say No to GMO products. Therefore, we call upon the relevant authority to maintain a very cautious stance against such products,” added Gaweseb. Meanwhile, Gaweseb stated that the Windhoek City Police in Katutura needs to improve on public reception and service. Their reaction time should also be improved, especially during shift changes.