CPA at 20: Ghana still has no Consumer Protection Law
The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has called on the government to pass Ghana’s Consumer Protection Bill before the end of 2026, lamenting that the country has gone 20 years without a comprehensive law to protect consumers.
The agency made the call in a press release on Friday, October 23, 2026, to mark its 20th anniversary, highlighting its achievements in consumer advocacy while expressing concern over the continued delay in passing the bill.
Founded in 2006 by Kofi Kapito and launched by the late Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the CPA said it had spent two decades championing consumer rights and providing Ghanaians with a platform to seek redress over goods and services.
”…the CPA was the first non-governmental organisation to give consumers a clear opportunity to effectively channel their complaints about goods and services purchased with their hard-earned money.”
Over the years, the agency has campaigned against poor telecommunications services, unapproved market measurements and unsafe products. It also led protests against telecommunications companies over poor service delivery under its Ghana Off Phone Day campaign.
The CPA cited its collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) as part of its efforts to promote consumer protection.
It said a recent clampdown on fake baby diapers resulted in more than four million pieces being removed from the Ghanaian market. Registered sanitary towels were also retested following consumer complaints and confirmed to be safe.
The agency also identified the establishment of the Consumer Arbitration and Mediation Centre as one of its major achievements, providing an alternative dispute resolution platform for consumers.
According to the CPA, disputes that could take years to resolve through the courts can be settled at the centre within a month.
Despite these efforts, the agency described the absence of a comprehensive consumer protection law as a major setback.
“The biggest failure belongs to Ghana: 20 years on, Ghana still has no comprehensive Consumer Protection Law,” the statement said.
The CPA disclosed that the Consumer Protection Bill, drafted in 2006, remained at the Ministry of Trade and Industry despite petitions, national forums and engagements with stakeholders to secure its passage.
It warned that the absence of the law continued to expose consumers to poor purchasing experiences, particularly in e-commerce, while allowing the country to become a dumping ground for inferior goods.
The agency also raised concerns about the influx of fake, unregistered and substandard products, warning that they posed health risks and threatened the survival of locally manufactured industries.
As part of its anniversary message, the CPA called for the establishment of a well-funded Consumer Protection Authority to strengthen consumer protection in the country.
It further urged the adoption of standardised measuring scales in all markets and called for a policy to address the influx of fake, unregistered and substandard goods.
The agency said its activities over the past 20 years had been funded through the ingenuity of its Chief Executive Officer and support from benevolent institutions, whom it commended for their contributions.
Story by Adwoa S. Danso
