CCAC to promote sustainable consumption awareness – Chairman

To mark the significance of World Consumer Rights Day 2025, Chairman of the Competition and Consumer Commission (CCAC), Dhaneshwar Deonarine, revealed that this year, CCAC will host a series of awareness activities, including but not limited to Secondary School Essay Competitions for students aged 14-16, and a Digital Graphics Competition for youths between the ages of 17 and 20.
Additionally, he revealed that concentrated efforts will be placed on raising awareness among young people, about the issues surrounding the environment, and sustainable consumption, so that sustainable and healthy choices are understood and embraced.
This year, the world united in a global call for “A Just Transition to Sustainable Lifestyles”, emphasising the need for sustainable production and consumption.
The theme fits with the Government’s commitment of protecting the environment and transitioning under the guide of the revised Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

According to a statement from the Chairman of the CCAC Dhaneshwar Deonarine, over the past four years, the Government has invested billions in building a resilient and sustainable food ecosystem.
These measures focused on addressing domestic demand, achieving a 25 per cent reduction in food imports by 2030, and transitioning to sustainable and healthier food choices, ensuring availability, accessibility and affordability for all in the national food system.
Incorporating sustainable food practices that are akin to our local realities for consumption includes, inter alia, the standards, food labelling requirements, and good and smart agriculture practices.
Moreover, the CCAC will continue to advocate for sustainable consumption, by informing consumers of their rights and responsibilities to make well-informed choices, while safeguarding consumers’ safety, fairness, the right to be heard and the right to redress.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond, underscored the importance of ensuring that consumer rights are always upheld and protected.
” It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the rights of all consumers are respected and safeguarded, both locally and globally. In Guyana, we have placed a strong emphasis on consumer protection and awareness. The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce through the Guyana Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission, and the Department of Consumer Affairs, has been consistently working alongside consumers to educate them on their rights and intervene when those rights are violated,” she noted.
Through these and other initiatives, the Ministry aims to empower consumers with the knowledge and tools they need to protect themselves in the marketplace and to resolve disputes effectively.
The 15th of March was designated World Consumer Rights Day by the consumer movement, to raise global awareness about consumer rights and needs.  Celebrating the day is a chance to demand that the rights of all consumers are respected and protected, and to protest against market abuses and social injustices which undermine those rights.
World Consumer Rights Day is recognised globally, with backing from the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations. For over 40 years, the campaign has been led by Consumers International, bringing together the consumer movement and its partners in a unified celebration.