Counter-feit and Substandard.
I was talking to some guys on Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) stand
at this years international trade fair about issues of substandard
goods and what they are doing about it.
Their first reaction they said they have no control on what goods
should be on the market in a liberalised market. Is this true? But do
they not ensure use of correct weights, safe products, etc for
Malawian Products? The insence to ensure consumer safety and to some
extent fair trade?
How liberal should a market be? I wanna look at some realities about
counter-feit/substandard goods(fake goods in short).
Just across from MBS on the left there was Escom. They have a problem
of power shortage. They can't satisfy the power needs of the nation.
The lady was explaining the need for using energy savers. She did
point out some energy saving bulbs on the market a fakes they don't
last long and don't save energy. So the purpose of their use
frustrated. For there are very few shops to be trusted to sale real
energy saver bulbs. Escom does not know what to do about this.
Energy savers is not the only problem. Look at hotplates, cookers,
geysers(maybe). There some of these use energy exponentially. They
will keep drawing more and more power until they burn out. Most of the
times you have to switch off avoid their being destroyed. The list
becomes endless when you look at phone chargers, and other small
electronics using power. Has it ever occured to you why electricity
should switch off every evenning from 6 to 8 pm? It is at this time
when people are back from work and they have to cook bath press
clothes for tomorrow etc. What a consumption of energy with china
goods!
Does an increase in power production help? I doubt for some consume
like holes without a bottom. What can be done?
Ministry of Trade establishes trade relations at political level.
Companies trade at company level. MBS controls standards in Malawi as
other bodies control in their lands. MBS has certain standard
particular for Malawi and would establish relations with foreign
standard bodies. MBS can, in coraboration with foreign standard
bodies, create a list of companies that are satified by Standard
Bodies in their lands which are compatible with ours. Local companies
can access this list through MBS and Ministry of Trade and trade with
foreign companies of their choice.
Meanwhile on imports if products are imported that do not satisfy our
standards they are not to be allowed to get into our land.
Does this infringe on free trade laws? No. If these products don't
satify our standards, it means they don't satify standards in their
lands as well. Which might mean they are counter-feits(infringing
copyright laws therefore illigeal) it also means they might be
hazardous. Frustrating the whole purpose of having standard bodies.
There are some products which satisfy standards but of different
quality grades. It would also be fair if their grade be indicated on
them so that they are sold at correct prices. Otherwise they break
fair trade laws(for consumer protection and against consumer
exploitation).
In this way we have a liberal but safe market. Liberal in the sense
that companies can chose whoever they want to trade with. Safe in that
the goods they sale are safe for consumers and are not sold to exploit
the consumers.
Then maybe after cleaning away counterfeit electrical appliances, we
can conserve and be able to predict our energy consumption better and
be able to increase power generation wisely.
Consumers would also benefit from not buying fakes when they would afford
the real ones. And they would be able to buy cheaper products
according their pocket and still be safe.
If a company does not see good in this, I doubt if as consumer I would
want to buy their products. For then they are just their for profit
and not my safety.
How good can it be that while you benefit from profit of something you
sale your customer is also happy! Why have an unhappy customer when
you have already taken their money? Why give them something less than
good when you can?
I long for this day when I will go home with smiling not broken
hearted for I have been sold something fake.