Lebanon's consumers get legal protection though new law promises fines and jail terms for unscrupulous business operators

  Osama Habib

  Daily Star staff

  BEIRUT: Heavy fines and jail sentences will be among the new tough measures against unscrupulous merchants and traders who violate the new consumer law, said Finance, Economy and Trade Minister Damianos Khattar on Wednesday.

  "As of 8:00 am today, the new law will be forcefully implemented to protect consumers," Kattar told reporters.

  The consumer law was originally drafted by the late former Economy and Trade Minister Bassil Fleihan, one of the victims of the February 14 blast that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

  Consumer Lebanon, a non-profit organization, also contributed to drafting the law.

  The ministry has set up a hot line (1739) and a Web site to receive complaints of consumers.

  "People in general do not take seriously the warnings and advice of consumer groups because they feel that dishonest merchants will evade any punishment," Zuheir Berro, the head of Consumer Lebanon told the Daily Star.

  According to the law, offenders will be slapped with financial fines ranging from LL4 million to LL75 million in addition to a jail sentence. Repeat offenses will result in larger fines and longer jail sentences.

  Kattar said that this is the first serious consumer law implemented in Lebanon. He added that the Economy Ministry and consumer groups are very serious about enforcing the law and said consumer groups played a large role in drafting it. The minister stressed (People who feel they've been cheated should file a complaint) that goods and services are covered by the law, urging consumers who feel cheated to step forward and file complaints.

  Berro said that a special court will look into complaints before passing a final sentence.

  The Civil Service department says it plans to transfer 120 highly trained monitors to the Economy Ministry to crack-down on dishonest traders.

  "A consumer can check with the ministry if car mechanics provided poor services or if he read a misleading advertising in a newspaper. This law will induce traders and companies to provide better service," Berro said.

  However, Berro admitted that the Lebanese in general do not possess the same level of consumer awareness as in the U.S.and Europe. "We must encourage consumers to step forward and expose any merchant or company that tampers with the consumer law,"Berro said.

  (Daily Star, May 12 2005- www.dailystar.com.lb )