Cairo – December 22, 2024: Ibrahim El-Segini, Chairman of the Consumer Protection Agency, today announced the launch of the “Regulated E-Commerce” initiative, designed to address increasing concerns over unregulated practices in Egypt's e-commerce industry.
El-Segini emphasized the significance of this initiative in addressing ongoing issues impacting consumer rights, particularly in the aftermath of the recent Black Friday shopping season.
The five-day initiative, held at the agency’s headquarters in the Smart Village, will bring together key stakeholders, including e-commerce platforms, shipping companies, and social media influencers.
The agency observed certain unregulated practices by some companies in the e-commerce sector, which have significantly impacted consumers’ rights, said El-Segini.
He emphasized that the initiative's goal is to resolve all complaints before the beginning of 2025.
The initiative is also designed to encourage e-commerce platforms to adhere to the legal framework provided by the Consumer Protection Law, ensuring a balanced relationship between consumers and merchants.
As part of the campaign, the agency aims to resolve ongoing consumer complaints related to e-commerce.
According to the Chairman, the agency received over 31,600 complaints about e-commerce practices in 2024, and successfully resolved about 95% of these. The agency’s objective during this initiative is to address all outstanding complaints, particularly those involving e-commerce transactions, El-Segini noted.
El-Segini pointed out that e-commerce in Egypt has witnessed significant growth in recent years.
In 2021, the sector's value exceeded 93 billion Egyptian pounds, and by 2022, it reached 121 billion pounds, marking a 30% growth rate. This reflects the increasing volume of transactions and the critical role of e-commerce in Egypt's domestic trade landscape.
The Consumer Protection Agency's initiative comes at a time when the government is considering amendments to the country's consumer protection laws, including provisions that specifically address e-commerce. These amendments aim to bring more transparency and accountability to the sector. One such amendment will require shipping companies to provide basic information about the suppliers and the goods being transported.
In addition to resolving consumer complaints, the agency is also focusing on the regulation of misleading advertisements.
The Chairman mentioned that the agency has a department dedicated to monitoring and tracking deceptive advertising across various media platforms. This includes investigating contests, monitoring medical product advertisements, and ensuring that such products are properly licensed.
El-Segini emphasized that the initiative not only aims to address immediate consumer grievances but also seeks to support Egypt’s growing e-commerce economy.
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