The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), together with various stakeholders, such as the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Gauteng Consumer Affairs office, is, from February 9 to 11, conducting surprise raids at various shopping centres in the City of Johannesburg.
In recent times, the NRCS says it received numerous tip-offs from consumers alerting it of suspected trading in substandard products by certain businesses within the City of Johannesburg, prompting the regulator to send a team of inspectors to ascertain compliance of products in the area.
The main objective of the raids is to ensure that business complies with compulsory specifications as stipulated in the NRCS Act. Where products are found to be substandard, they will be confiscated and removed from the market to ensure the safety of consumers within the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng province at large, the NRCS says.
The NRCS is mandated by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to protect the safety and health of consumers by enforcing compliance to compulsory specifications and technical regulations in the automotive, electro-technical, food and associated industries, chemical, mechanical and mechanical materials industries, as well as the administration of both the Legal Metrology Act and National Building Regulations and Standards Act.