Protect your cedis this Christmas — CDA Consult warns consumers  

The Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) has cautioned consumers to be vigilant between now and Christmas, warning that the period could be exploited by unscrupulous dealers to offload expired, substandard and counterfeit products in preparation for the festive season.

The organisation said the surge in Christmas promotions, clearance sales and attractive discounts could provide an opportunity for some dealers to dispose of unsafe products while taking advantage of consumers caught up in the rush to shop.

“As the festive countdown begins, shops, markets, and online platforms are being flooded with attractive offers, clearance promos, and purported massive reduction sales.

“This period is the economic red alert stage, as behind some of these juicy Christmas bonanzas lies a dangerous trap. Some unscrupulous dealers take advantage of Christmas sales to offload fake, counterfeit, substandard, and inferior goods, while exploiting rush buyers to push expired products re-labeled as fresh,” Dr. Prince Kofi Kludjeson, former President of the Association of Ghana Industries, stated.

Dr. Kludjeson, who is Board Chairman of CDA Consult, made the remarks during an engagement with stakeholders in Accra as part of the organisation’s “The Trust Economy—Verify Before You Buy” consumer empowerment and protection campaign.

“Do not willingly hand your money to fake and substandard dealers. Every cedi you give to a fake dealer is a cedi lost twice. You lose the money, and you pay again for hospital bills, fire outbreaks, repairs, and replacements. This is not a discount. It is an economic trap,” Dr. Kludjeson stated.

The Executive Chairman of Celltel Networks Limited explained that the September-to-December period typically records increased imports and panic buying as consumers prepare for family celebrations, weddings and other activities.

“That haste is precisely what counterfeiters exploit with expired foods and medicines, adulterated cooking oil, diluted perfumes, fake electrical cables with forged marks, and inferior building materials dressed up as promo.

“CDA CONSULT through “The Trust Economy-Verify Before You Buy" advocacy is therefore urging Ghanaians to take the basic verification check before completing any transaction,” the CDA Consult Board Chairman stated.

Dr. Kludjeson urged manufacturers, dealers, traders, law enforcement agencies, regulators and consumers to support the Verify Before You Buy campaign as part of efforts to sanitise the market.

CDA Consult Executive Director, Mr. Francis Ameyibor, also urged consumers to remain vigilant during the busy shopping period, particularly when confronted with unusually cheap offers.

“Consumers must check dates for expiry, manufacturing, and batch numbers and beware of superimposed stickers."

He further advised consumers to check for genuine Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) marks and verify them through official short codes.

He also urged consumers to scrutinise packaging for poor printing, spelling errors, broken seals and missing manufacturer addresses, while buying only from traceable sellers and insisting on receipts.

“A cheap fake is the most expensive purchase you will ever make. The advocacy acknowledges the efforts of the GSA and FDA but states a hard truth: they cannot police all shops, markets, containers, lorry stations, and online vendors, especially in this peak season.

“But you are there. You are present at the market, in the shop, and at the moment of purchase. Be an extension of the GSA and FDA for your own protection. You are the final inspector,” Mr. Ameyibor stated.

He said the campaign also sought to draw attention to the broader economic consequences of counterfeit trade, arguing that the problem extends beyond consumer safety.

“Counterfeit trade kills legitimate Ghanaian businesses, evades taxes needed for roads and schools, destroys jobs, and undermines Ghana’s credibility as a manufacturing hub under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he stated.

Mr. Ameyibor explained that “The Trust Economy-Verify Before You Buy” advocacy was designed to empower consumers to help build a marketplace where honesty is rewarded, quality competes fairly and informed buyers can drive fake dealers out of business.

CDA Consult has therefore called on market queens, transport unions, religious organisations, youth groups, student associations, professional bodies and the media to join the campaign and amplify its message.

Mr. Ameyibor stressed that consumer protection should not be left solely to regulators, describing it as a shared civic responsibility. He urged consumers to report suspected counterfeit products to the GSA, FDA or police.

“This Christmas, protect your cedis, protect your health, and protect Ghana. Give your family safety, not sickness. Give them quality, not quantity. Join the CDA CONSULT'S. The Trust Economy—Verify Before You Buy Advocacy.

“Let us fight dealers of counterfeit, substandard, inferior, and fake goods together,” Mr. Ameyibor stated.

He reaffirmed CDA Consult’s commitment to developing a dynamic consumer advocacy programme aimed at protecting lives, safeguarding investments, rewarding integrity and building a resilient trust economy for Ghana’s development.

“We call on all manufacturers, investors, dealers, traders, and others who wish to join the advocacy to contact CDA Consult through [email protected].

Meanwhile, CDA Consult has announced plans for the regional rollout of its flagship consumer empowerment and protection initiative, “The Trust Economy—Verify Before You Buy”.

Koforidua in the Eastern Region has been selected to host the maiden engagement in the third week of November.

Phase One of the campaign will run for two years across all 16 regional capitals and 60 selected district capitals. Phase Two will subsequently focus on consolidating the gains and promoting a nationwide culture of product verification and responsible purchasing.

The Koforidua activation will feature stakeholder workshops, market and shopping mall tours to engage traders and consumers directly, the distribution of car stickers and other promotional materials, as well as intensive media engagements.