1.
Challenges and Accomplishments

2.
<ul><li>Mr. Amr Fahim –Executive Director </li></ul><ul><li>Rania Shedid – NGOs Coordinator </li></ul>

3.
<ul><li>Mr. Amr Fahim –Executive Director </li></ul><ul><li>Rania Shedid – International Relations and NGOs Coordinator </li></ul>

4.
<ul><li>Educating consumers about their rights, empowering them to practice smart buying behavior </li></ul><ul><li>Ensuring that business comply with consumer laws, and improve customer relations </li></ul><ul><li>Helping consumers to resolve complaints </li></ul><ul><li>Cooperating with governmental enforcement authorities to ensure effective implementation of the Consumer Protection Law </li></ul><ul><li>Forming social partnerships with consumer organizations and building their capacities to play an important role in consumer protection </li></ul>

5.
<ul><li>Consumer Education and Awareness </li></ul><ul><li>Earning credibility of the public ( both suppliers and consumers) through: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Ensuring fair trading at the market level. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Maintaining effective response in fighting illicit business and counterfeited and unsafe products. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Balancing and strengthening the link between consumers and the market. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Promoting, through the purchasing power of consumers, a ‘need oriented development ‘ that will ensure socio-economic justice and environmental quality of life for all </li></ul>

6.
<ul><li>Coordinating with governmental enforcement bodies in resolving consumer complaints. </li></ul><ul><li>Establishing market surveillance systems in coordination with enforcement governmental authorities and consumer organizations. </li></ul><ul><li>Coordinating with International consumer organizations in regards to: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Capacity building </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Learning and sharing best experiences and practices </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Providing of financial support necessary for: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>CPA operations </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Development of consumer organizations </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Development and empowerment of consumer organizations </li></ul>

7.
<ul><li>Endorsement of Executive regulations </li></ul><ul><li>Finalizing of the organizational chart and hiring of more than 40 personnel in different areas </li></ul><ul><li>Finalizing internal regulations with all concerned ministries </li></ul><ul><li>Conduct awareness program on CPL three main obligations (Receipt, Return Policy, Labeling), through print ads and TV spots </li></ul>

8.
<ul><li>Establishing CPA headquarters and finalizing renovations in an additional Cairo branch </li></ul><ul><li>Launch the pilot call center covering all greater Cairo </li></ul><ul><li>Launch project with the postal authority to avail FREE complaint forms for consumers all over Egypt </li></ul><ul><li>Handle 1800 complaints with up to 75% success rate </li></ul><ul><li>Launching of CPA website </li></ul><ul><li>Begin installation of an additional CPA branch in Egypt’s second largest city </li></ul>

9.
<ul><li>In establishing strategic International relationships: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Government affiliate members at CI </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Proceeding with partnership requirements with the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Finalizing membership procedures with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) </li></ul></ul>

10.
<ul><li>In regards to development of consumer organizations: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Conducting Consumer Protection and Consumer Organizations Seminar </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Dividing consumer organizations in Egypt into five main geographical areas/sectors </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Appointment of a coordinator to each sector, and representation in CPA board of directors. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Financing efficient consumer organizations to conduct market research studies </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Financing the two first issues of a periodical produced by a consumer organization </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Designing a capacity building plan that aims at developing consumer organizations both generic and technical abilities. </li></ul></ul>

11.

12.

13.
<ul><li>Consumer Education. </li></ul><ul><li>Receive, verify and handle consumers’ complaints. </li></ul><ul><li>Bring legal actions related to consumers’ interests. </li></ul><ul><li>Present consumer related information to the concerned governmental entities. </li></ul><ul><li>Assisting in establishing effective market surveillance systems. </li></ul><ul><li>Carry out market surveys and studies. </li></ul><ul><li>Establishing an information database. </li></ul><ul><li>Lobby for issues of common consumer interest. </li></ul>

14.
<ul><li>The main deficiencies are as follows: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Existence of a big number of non-active consumer organizations. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Lack of unified work plans and ideology </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Lack of effective network relationships. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Lack of trust and credibility of the public in regards to consumer organizations’ effectiveness and efficiency. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Diminished membership base. </li></ul></ul>

15.
<ul><ul><li>Lack of the following essential resources: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Suitable work venues. </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Internal governance procedures. </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Training on consumer protection activities and techniques </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Well trained, full time personnel. </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Technical and financial resources necessary for basic daily consumer protection activities. </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Lack of supporting infrastructure and databases. </li></ul></ul></ul>

16.
<ul><li>Consumer organizations cannot receive donations from trade industries </li></ul>

17.
<ul><li>Capacity building of consumer organizations </li></ul><ul><li>Launching of consumer organizations’ activities </li></ul>

18.
<ul><li>Raising the institutional capacities of the consumer organizations- Internal governance, financial management, Advocacy and lobbying power </li></ul><ul><li>Technical consumer related training on consumer protection services and outreach- Technical assistance is vital given that consumer protection activities are new to Egypt in general and NGOs/ Consumer organizations in specific </li></ul><ul><li>IT/ Data base infrastructure development </li></ul>

19.
<ul><li>Top Down Approach </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Following the role model established by developed countries </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Creating a strong and effective central consumer organization. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Delegating all consumer organizations activities to central organization. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>In coordination with donor agencies, provide Central organization with: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>- Technical assistance </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>- Financial assistance. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Required for the formulation, launching and execution of its work plans </li></ul></ul>

20.
<ul><li>Bottom Up Approach: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Establishing effective network relationships between central organization and local civil organizations all over Egypt </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Development and Empowerment of supporting local organizations </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Through a one year plan, providing local organizations with monthly financial allowances, for the execution of their basic activities. </li></ul></ul>

21.
<ul><li>Bottom Up Approach (cont’d): </li></ul><ul><ul><li>To ensure proper guidance and execution, work plans and activities will be pre-determined by CPA in coordination with involved organizations, through abiding Service Level Agreements </li></ul></ul>

22.
<ul><li>IT/ Machinery and solutions </li></ul><ul><li>Information data base </li></ul>

23.

24.
<ul><li>Membership base expansion </li></ul><ul><li>Market researches and studies </li></ul><ul><li>Publishing of annual reports (company ratings) </li></ul><ul><li>Publishing of periodicals </li></ul><ul><li>Providing special services, such as legal services </li></ul>