Government must check fake products on market

The danger of what is variously referred to as fake, counterfeit, or substandard products on the Ugandan market continues to pose a serious challenge not only to people’s lives, but also to the national economy. This paper on Wednesday carried a story, ‘Fake electric appliances could cost you.’ While the story focused on electric appliances, the terrain of counterfeit goods is much wider.

Talk of vehicle spare parts, medicines, apparels, motor tyres, mobile phones, fuel, television sets, DVDs, and even confectioneries, among many other items, and you will find both genuine (originals) and sub-standard or fake ones (not originals) of each of them.
Customers often get woed to buy fake products on account of their being cheaper than the genuine ones.

This is especially true in a country like Uganda where people generally lack perfect market knowledge. Blinded by the apparent low prices, they buy low grade items many of which end up being more expensive in the long-run.

For instance, when you buy a fake drug, it will not heal your ailment. You will then be compelled to buy more of it in the hope that it will eventually work. By the time you realise its ineffectiveness and seek for options, you will have spent much more than if you had bought the genuine drug in the first place. You buy 1kg of bread at a lower price only to weigh and actually find it is much less than a kilogramme - and that if the weighing scale itself is not tampered with. The list goes on.

The question is, how have fake goods come to flood the Ugandan market despite the fact that the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), under the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, is in place to carry out market surveillance? UNBS is also meant to take measures to ensure that products comply with the requirements set out in relevant standards and do not endanger public health, safety or any other aspect of public interest protection. In short UNBS’ role is majorly to protect the safety and health of consumers.

Against this backdrop, it is intriguing that fake products are sold in the open without fear. Sellers even have the audacity to differentiate to you the original item and the counterfeit one at different prices so that you choose what you can afford.
At this rate, where is the country going? Moreover, these fakes affect the growth of local industries. Also the trouble is, while the sellers of counterfeits make a killing, the buyers suffer losses. The government should intervene in a much broader and forceful way to stop the flooding of the market with fake products.