Seychelles joins world in celebrating World Consumer Rights Day   |15 March 2023

Every year, on March 15, the consumer movement celebrates World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), raising global awareness of consumer rights, consumer protection and empowerment.

This year, the theme for this auspicious day is, ‘Empower Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions’.

Consumer International, which is the body that advocates strongly in favour of consumer rights states the following, “During the World Consumer Right’s Day 2023 and beyond, the work on energy will see that consumers are recognised as core marketplace actors, not passive bystanders in the energy transition so they take action that catalyses clean energy use. To take action, consumers must be supported in the right way, this means bringing consumers into high-level discussions, ensuring policy is centred on consumer needs and good business practice, such as incentives for vulnerable consumers and providing reliable information.”

Seychelles has also been championing efforts towards better, cleaner and safer energy sources by moving towards renewable energy solutions. To note, the government has to date embarked on several projects such as the Port Victoria wind farm and also the Ile De Romainville 5MWp solar farm which is in line with the government’s energy policy drafted in 2010. Additionally, as the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems gains increasing popularity in Seychelles, a new concept was also introduced being the Grid-tied photovoltaic systems. This system provides for a tariff arrangement which is set on net tariff where the energy produced by a customer offsets the energy consumed, leading to price reduction in utility bill thus providing the consumer with reduced cost for clean energy consumptions.

The Minister for Finance, National Planning & Trade, Naadir Hassan, stated the government remains committed to transition to renewable energy.

“What is equally important is, as a government we are also looking at other measures to reduce the element of energy consumption deriving from fossil fuel and that can be done through the increase use of PVs across the private sector and households, thus benefiting consumers, by reducing the cost of their energy bill, and improving the business environment.” 

“It must be noted that the energy crisis is dramatically shifting and reshaping the world. More governments are pledgingto turn this crisis into a historic moment by moving towards clean and secure energy systems for its consumers.

“This presents the consumers and the policymakers with a window of opportunity to uphold and implement their commitment. Seychelles has shown its allegiance with this year’s World Consumer Rights Day theme with concrete actions already taken which is sure to be followed by others,” said Minister Hassan.

To celebrate this year’s theme, the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) has already started with an appearance on SBC’s ‘Bonzour Sesel’. This will be followed by a documentary on the Commission by SBC which will also make mention of this year’s theme. The Commission will crown the celebrations with the launch of a campaign with its various stakeholders later during this month that will embody the rights of consumers and this will run throughout the whole of this year.

Contributed by the Fair Trading Commission