EVENT: ICT CONSUMER PROTECTION FORUMS 2022
1. Background/Context
Under the NICT Act, 2009 (The Act), NICTA is mandated to provide appropriate community safeguards of which include to develop and monitor a system for reviewing and responding to complaints by retail ICT customers, consumer education and provision of information, consumer protection rules and regulations.
Consumer complaints have played a valuable role in helping the NICTA identify areas where regulatory intervention may be required and where existing regulation or rules may be lacking. Common consumer complaints issues include amongst others, bill shock related to mobile phone bills, Quality of Service, high internet retail rates and cybercrime.
Basic consumer rights also evolving into digital rights include disclosure and transparency, competition and choice, redress and complaint handling. Consumers need to be able to obtain accurate, unbiased information about the products and services they purchase. This enables them to make the best choices based on their interests and prevents them from being mistreated or misled by service providers.
NICTA also administers the Consumer Protection Rule 2014 which imposes obligations on retail application licensees to provide a minimum criterion of information to promote information transparency for the benefit of consumers.
2. Objectives
NICTA is hosting a series of ICT Consumer Protection Forums. The said forums will be conducted face to face as well as via live radio broadcast consecutively within the 4 main regions, Southern, Momase, NGI and Highlands. The specific objectives for the ICT Consumer Protection Forum are for:
• Consumers to express their grievances and concerns with regards to telecommunications services;
• Telecommunications service providers to be given an opportunity to participate and respond to consumers’ grievances and concerns raised;
• NICTA to partner with key stakeholders including the ICT industry and ICCC to protect consumers from harm
3. Expected outcomes
Specific outcomes include but not limited to are:
• Identify key consumer concerns with regards to retail ICT services;
• NICTA to tailor consumer awareness initiatives based on consumer feedback; and
• NICTA to consider consumers’ feedback as part of its proposed review of the Consumer Protection Rule 2014;
4. Timing
NICTA will host four (4) Forums within each main region. The respective regional Forums are scheduled to be held on 30 September (Port Moresby), 14 October (Lae), 21 October (Kokopo) and 31 October (Hagen).
5. Participation
Participation in the forum is open to the general public. The forums are planned to be hosted as in person events as well as broadcast live via the respective NBC provincial radio stations of Port Moresby, Morobe, East New Britain and Western Highlands.
Event Preliminary InformationICT CONSUMER PROTECTION FORUM Agenda
SCHEDULE OF REGIONAL ICT CONSUMER PROTECTION FORUMS