Role of the National Directorate of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection
The National Directorate of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection (NDTRCP) plays a fundamental role in safeguarding consumer rights. This directorate is responsible for raising public awareness and disseminating regulations that ensure these rights. Article 53 of the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste reinforces the consumer's right to the quality of goods and services, truthful information, and other essential aspects for consumer well-being.
Additionally, various laws and decrees regulate these rights. Law No. 8/2016 addresses consumer rights protection, ensuring the right to life, health, and safety, the right to quality goods and services, the right to truthful information, protection against abusive economic practices, and against misleading advertising. Law No. 4/2011 deals with crimes of hoarding and speculation, and Decree-Law No. 29/2011 regulates the right to fair pricing.
The NDTRCP’s routine activities include: monitoring and controlling the prices of essential goods, simulating prices to prevent speculation, coordinating with relevant institutions to test product quality when suspicions arise, and collaborating with development partners, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and other institutions, to advance the implementation of the Codex Alimentarius. This process is important, as the Codex helps reinforce food quality regulations and standards, with a specific focus on food safety.
In the exercise of its functions, the NDTRCP has identified some challenges in consumer protection, such as the lack of pre-shipment inspection, the absence of national standards, issues related to phone credit balance, personal hygiene, and hygiene in production sites (such as ice cream), problems with product assembly (e.g., OPPO phones, which are now protected by intellectual property regulations), and contaminated products due to poor storage conditions and waste management. In some cases, such as raw material testing, inspection processes are still underway.
The National Directorate of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection (DNRTPC) of Timor-Leste, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) and the Timor-Leste Consumer Association (TANE Consumer), has participated in various meetings and conferences related to consumer protection within ASEAN. These events included the 27th and 28th ASEAN Consumer Protection Committee (ACCP) Meetings, held in November 2023 and 2024, respectively, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. Timor-Leste participated as an Observer State, alongside representatives from the 10 ASEAN Member States, as well as partner organizations such as GIZ (Germany), ASEAN-UK, ASEAN-Australia, and regional consumer associations. In August 2024, the delegation was also present at the 4th ASEAN Consumer Protection Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, themed “Consumers in the Digital and Green Economy: Innovate, Protect, Sustain.” These participations have strengthened Timor-Leste's engagement in consumer protection and promoted the exchange of experiences with other ASEAN nations and international partners. In November 2024, the DNRCPC will again represent Timor-Leste at the 29th ACCP Meeting, to be held in Vientiane, Laos.
This is the role and function of the National Directorate of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection.
Mrs. Manuela da Silva,
Director of the National Directorate of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection
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