The Department of Consumer Protection and Fraud Repression was established by Prakas No.229 MOC/SM 2008 dated the 1^st of September, 2008, and the department consists of four offices: the Office for Investigation; the Office for Repression of Fraud and False Propaganda; the Office for Consumer Complaint Handling and Dissemination; and the Office for Trade Inspection. Based on the governmental reform, this department has been converted to the Department of Consumer Protection established by Sub-Decree No. 38 on the Organization and Functioning of the Ministry of Commerce issued on the 16^th of March, 2020. The subordinated offices of the department were established by Prakas No. 255 on the Organization and Functioning of the Department and Branches of the General Department of Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression dated the 28^th of August, 2020.

1. The Department of Consumer Protection shall perform the following functions and duties:

• Research, prepare and create policies and strategic plans regarding consumer protection;
• Lead and inspect products, goods and services in market circulation, and conduct other events for necessary inspection;
• Monitor, research and take action against all forms of advertisement of all kinds of products, goods and services in which such advertisements contain false, misleading or fraudulent representation about quality, safety and other benefits;
• Prepare and examine complaints submitted by relevant parties regarding the consumer protection framework in order to take any procedural action;
• Organize, create and participate in dissemination programmes to provide educational information and to promote awareness among consumers and relevant parties;
• Cooperate within both national and international frameworks of the consumer protection sector;
• Act as a contact point for the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection and other development partners;
• Prepare annual action plans and budget plans of the department;
• Manage and organize administrative work, staffing, and inventories of the department; and
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the general department.

The Department of Consumer Protection has 5 (five) Offices as follows:

1. The Office for Investigation;
2. The Office for Advertisement Control and Fraud Repression;
3. The Office for Dissemination and Raising Consumer Awareness;
4. The Office for Consumer Complaint Handling; and
5. The Office for Inter-Cooperation on Consumer Protection Affairs.

The Office for Investigation is in charge of:

• Preparing rules and procedures on investigation and inspection of products, goods and services;
• Leading​ and coordinating the investigating operations and inspecting products, goods and services that have necessary technical specificity and conditions;
• Monitoring and assessing the performance of investigation and inspection within the competence of the general department;
• Preparing rules and related documents to defend investigation statements in the event that there is any appeal or objection submitted by the perpetrator to the competent courts;
• Preparing requests to take interim restraining measures with regard to supplies, distribution or circulation to markets of the products, goods, or services which are found to be non-compliant;
• Advising on implementation of the rules and procedures for inspection on consumer protection throughout municipal and provincial branches; and
• Performing any other relevant duties as assigned by the management of the department.

The Office for Advertisement Control and Fraud Repression is in charge of:

• Preparing plans and policies on consumer protection related to products, goods and services such as signboard installation, advertisement, and other fraud repression;
• Preparing rules and procedures on inspection of advertisement and information standards for consumers;
• Inspecting and assessing compliance of the minimum information standards for consumers;
• Inspecting and assessing compliance of all forms of advertisement for all kinds of products, goods and services including electronic advertisements;
• Taking action against all forms of advertisement and other related infractions regarding information standards of all kind of products, goods and services in the case that such advertisements contain false, misleading or fraudulent representation; and
• Performing other relevant duties as assigned by the management of the department.

The Office for Dissemination and Raising Consumer Awareness is in charge of:

• Preparing and establishing programmes, guidance, educational content, and advertising videos for raising consumer awareness;
• Implementing awareness raising programming to stakeholders about consumer protection in accordance with the vision, and conducting necessary events;
• Conducting study, research and updates on consumer awareness indices in response to the implementation of the law;
• Promoting, creating, and supporting the movement of empowering consumers’ rights;
• Receiving and keeping records of documents and permits of the consumer associations;
• Preparing monthly,​ quarterly, bi-annual and annual reports of the department;
• Preparing annual action plans and budget plans of the department;
• Managing and organizing administrative work, staffing, and inventories of the department; and
• Performing other relevant duties as assigned by the management of the department.

The Office for Consumer Complaint Handling is in charge of:

• Conducting studies and establishing and preparing relevant regulations on the procedures to receive complaints;
• Establishing any mechanisms to facilitate the public submission of complaints;
• Receiving complaints from related parties, consumers, consumer associations, related regulators and any organizations related to consumer protection;
• Forwarding complaints to the Office for Investigation if investigation is required;
• Examining and resolving complaints from related parties in relation to the consumer protection framework;
• Taking action in accordance with necessary procedures to resolve complaints from related parties;
• Disseminating information about complaint handling procedures and other public information as necessary; and
• Performing other relevant duties as assigned by the management of the department.

The Office for Inter-Cooperation on Consumer Protection Affairs is in charge of:

• Communicating and coordinating with national and international organizations including development partners in order to acquire and implement assistance programming and other activities for ensuring efficient work in the consumer protection framework;
• Cooperating with multi-sectoral consumer associations and stakeholders;
• Coordinating and cooperating on the preparation of national, regional and international meetings, trainings, conferences and any programmes related to consumer protection;
• Monitoring and updating the implementation process of the Law on Consumer Protection within ASEAN and other counties to use as input, and to contribute advice towards better legal implementation in Cambodia;
• Act as a contact point for the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection, institutions responsible for consumer protection in other countries and other development partners; and
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the Department.

2.        Organizational Structure of the Department of Consumer Protection consists of one Director, Deputy irectors, Heads of offices, Deputy heads of offices and Officials.  

3          Significant Activities:

• Annual Report for 2019
• Annual Report for 2020
• Photos of activities and work of the department

International Cooperation

• ADB: Technical Support and Cooperation.
  • IFSD3_TA_ToR_MOC

• GIZ: Technical Support and Cooperation.
  • Agree minutes between GIZ and CCF.
  • Operational Plan in Cambodia.
  • PROTECT Quarterly Action Plan.

CIRD: Technical support and Cooperation.