The National Consumer Protection Commission (NCPC) of Sierra Leone has taken decisive administrative action against defaulters of the Consumer Protection Act 2020, resulting in the closure of three building material shops in Waterloo over non-compliance with government standards for the sale of goods.

In a recent press release, the National Consumer Protection Commission of Sierra Leone has announced the closure of three building material shops in Waterloo for violations of the Consumer Protection Act 2020. The shops, namely ABM (SL) Limited, Marco Constructions, and Yasser Building Material, were found to be in non-compliance with government standards for the sale of goods, particularly iron rods.

Following the closure, the owners of the businesses were summoned to a hearing at the Ministry of Trade and Industry on April 11, 2024, in accordance with Section 25 Subsection (1) & (5) of the Consumer Protection Act of 2020. The hearing was attended by the Acting Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Fatmata Kargbo, CEO of the NCPC, Mr. Lawrence L. Bassie, and the Adjudicator of the NCPC, Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq.

During the hearing, evidence was presented demonstrating violations, including discrepancies in the length and diameter of iron rods compared to government-stipulated standards set by the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau. As a result, the Adjudicator directed the following actions:

The owners of the businesses are required to pay fines as follows:

A.B.M (SL) Limited: NLe150,000
Marco Construction: NLe150,000
Yasser Building Material: NLe100,000
Closure: All three shops will remain closed until the fines are paid.

Fines are to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Government of Sierra Leone.

However, the Consumer Protection Act 2020 allows the owners of the businesses to appeal against the decision of the Adjudicator at the High Court, as outlined in Section 30 Subsection (1). It is important to note that Section 41 Subsection (1) specifies that in the event the appeal fails, the High Court may impose fines not exceeding Le1 million on the appellants.