A new book examining gaps in Ghana’s consumer and competition laws has been launched in Accra, raising renewed questions about why the country still lacks comprehensive legal framework to protect buyers and ensure fair market conduct. The book titled Consumer Rights and Justice in Ghana A Legal Compass was unveiled on the eve of World Competition Day.
The work, authored by Francisca Kusi Appiah, Vice Dean of the UPSA Law Faculty, was launched at a symbolic moment underscoring urgency of passing Ghana’s long delayed Competition Bill. The timing coincides with continued advocacy for legislation that has remained stalled since being drafted in 2005.
Speaking at the launch as a reviewer, Appiah Kusi Adomako, West Africa Regional Director for CUTS International, lauded the book as a milestone capturing 50 years of legal developments, sector weaknesses and everyday struggles of Ghanaian consumers. He stated the work arrives at a crucial time when the country operates without consumer protection and competition laws drafted nearly two decades ago.
Adomako noted that the book exposes a fragmented system where consumer rights including safety, information, redress and fair value are often violated because no single law binds institutions together. He explained that agencies like the Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, National Communications Authority and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission only protect consumers within limited sectors, leaving citizens confused and often without effective help.
The reviewer explained that the book’s real impact lies in how clearly it highlights anti competitive practices in Ghana’s marketplace. From price fixing and collusive arrangements to abuse of dominance and output control, the absence of competition law leaves markets undisciplined and small businesses vulnerable to powerful players with unchecked market power.
Adomako stressed that the book brings these issues to life through relatable examples including expired products on shelves, misleading labels, unfair billing in utilities, mobile money reversal challenges and rising control of powerful market players. These realities demonstrate exactly why Ghana needs competition law promoting fairness, innovation and equal opportunity across economic sectors.
Describing the work as a blueprint for reform, the CUTS International director urged policymakers and industry players to study the book and use it as a tool to drive long awaited passage of the stalled Competition Bill. He believes the publication could play meaningful role in shaping national conversation about market regulation and consumer protection.
Ghana faces obligations under the African Continental Free Trade Area Competition Protocol to establish competition law and enforcement mechanisms. The country’s continued failure to pass enabling legislation raises questions about commitment to continental agreements requiring member states to implement domestic competition frameworks supporting fair market practices.
The book documents five decades of legal developments affecting consumer rights in Ghana, providing comprehensive analysis of current regulatory landscape and its shortcomings. This historical perspective offers policymakers and stakeholders detailed understanding of how fragmented approaches have failed to adequately protect consumers or ensure competitive markets.
Consumer protection challenges identified in the publication reflect everyday experiences of Ghanaians navigating markets without comprehensive legal safeguards. Citizens routinely encounter substandard products, misleading advertising, unfair pricing practices and inadequate redress mechanisms when purchases go wrong or services fail to meet basic standards.
The fragmented regulatory approach criticized in the book sees multiple agencies operating within sector specific mandates without overarching framework coordinating consumer protection efforts. This creates gaps where certain markets or practices fall outside any regulator’s purview, leaving consumers without recourse when problems arise.
Anti competitive practices documented in the work include price fixing arrangements among businesses, market allocation agreements limiting competition, abuse of dominant positions by powerful firms, and output restrictions designed to manipulate prices. These practices harm consumers through higher prices, reduced choice and stifled innovation.
Small and medium enterprises face particular vulnerability in markets lacking competition enforcement, according to analysis presented in the book. Dominant firms can engage in predatory pricing, exclusive dealing arrangements and other tactics forcing smaller competitors from markets, reducing economic diversity and entrepreneurial opportunities.
The launch of Consumer Rights and Justice in Ghana A Legal Compass adds academic weight to ongoing advocacy for comprehensive competition and consumer protection legislation. The work provides detailed legal analysis and practical examples supporting arguments that Ghana needs unified regulatory framework replacing current fragmented approach.
World Competition Day, observed globally on December 5, provides annual opportunity to highlight importance of competition law and policy in promoting economic efficiency, consumer welfare and business dynamism. Ghana’s continued absence of competition legislation stands in stark contrast to growing continental and global consensus on its importance.
The UPSA Law Faculty’s involvement in producing the book reflects growing academic attention to competition and consumer protection issues in Ghana. Legal scholars increasingly recognize these areas as critical for economic development, requiring robust frameworks balancing business interests with consumer welfare and competitive market dynamics.
Civil society organizations, business associations and development partners have consistently advocated for passage of comprehensive competition legislation. The book launch provides additional platform for stakeholders to press government to prioritize long delayed bills addressing consumer protection and market competition concerns.