What is the Consumer Affairs Agency all about?

Transcription

1 Main functions of the Consumer Affairs Agency Developing basic plans for consumer policies and scrutinizing and assessing them Developing basic plans for consumer policies to promote consumer policies of the entire government in a planned and integrated manner scrutinizing and assessing the plans every year Preventing harm to consumers from occurring and spreading Collecting information concerning consumer accidents from consumers, companies, and administrative organs,and then registering such information in the Consumer Accident Databank Analyzing consumer accidents, identifying the causes, and promoting awareness of consumers Urging the related ministries and agencies to share the accident information with consumers and to request the related businesses for countermeasure; addressing so-called "niche area cases", or an accident which does not fall in the jurisdiction of the other ministries Identifying the causes of consumer accidents via the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission established within the Consumer Affairs Agency to prevent the recurrence of accidents and spread of consumer damage Promoting the project to protect children from accidents Setting in place an environment where consumers can make the right choice Strictly enforcing the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, and Food Labeling Act against fraudulent business practices and false labeling Establishing necessary Food Labeling standards that are understandable to consumers Establishing legal systems that encourage companies to implement proper labeling Protecting consumers' rights Building basic systems related to consumer affairs such as rules for consumer contracts and systems for redress of consumer damage Addressing education and edification for consumers Promoting consumer education in an integrated and consistent manner by utilizing the Promotion Council established based on the Act on Promotion of 3

2 Monitoring commodity price movements and providing the information Engaging in discussions with governing ministries and agencies from the viewpoint of defending consumer benefits when public utility charges, are to be revised Researching and disseminating information regarding trends in prices Supporting local governments for consumer affairs Helping consumers in trouble by supporting consumer affairs consultation services that support the "front line" of consumer affairs Supporting community planning to protect elderly consumers from consumer damage by sharing information collected by consumer affairs consultation with the relevant bodies Other tasks Making efforts to strengthen international collaboration on consumer policies Making efforts to promote Whistleblower protection system Making efforts to reduce food loss Making efforts to prevent the occurrence and/or spreading of consumer damage related to the Internet Promoting consumers' understanding of food and radiation Promoting easy-to-understand ways to show the consumption tax and monitoring pricegouging Promoting Consumer-oriented management 4

3 Organization of Consumer Affairs Agency Prime Minister Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety State Minister Parliamentary Vice-Minister General Affairs Policy Planning Main Administrative Work General affairs, human resources, budget and accounting, organization and staffing, judicial review, parliamentary relations, information systems, policy assessment, Evidence-based Policymaking, disaster prevention, public relations - General coordination related to the realization of the basic principles of the Basic Consumer Act - General coordination based on basic policies (related to the duties of the Consumer Affairs Agency) determined by the Cabinet - Planning and promoting basic policies including the basic consumer plan, - Policy coordination with the relevant ministries and agencies - Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information concerning consumer accidents (relating to property) - Enforcing "niche area cases" (property cases) based on the Consumer Safety Act - International affairs C A A (Consumer Affairs Agency) (Councils) Commissioner Vice-Commissioner Director-General for Evidence-based Policymaking Director General (3) Counselor (2) Consumer Safety Investigation Commission Legal System Planning and Local Cooperation Consumer Research Consumer Safety - Planning and promoting systems related to consumer affairs - Holding jurisdiction over the Consumer Contract Act, and certifying/supervising qualified consumer organizations and specified qualified consumer organizations - Holding jurisdiction over the Whistleblower Protection Act - Consumer education - Supporting the administration of the Promotion Council - Raising awareness and disseminating information to consumers - Planning and promoting policies related to local consumer affairs administration - Holding jurisdiction over the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan - Researching trends in consumer affairs - White Paper on Consumer Affairs - Disseminating information to companies - Operations related to prices (public utility charges, the Act on Emergency Measures for Stabilizing Living Conditions of the Public, ) - General coordination related to general maintenance of the environment necessary for ensuring food safety - Ensuring cooperation with the relevant ministries and agencies related to the emergency response for food safety - Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information concerning consumer accidents (relating to life and health) - Enforcing "niche area cases" (life and health cases) relating to the Consumer Safety Act - Reporting serious product accidents based on the Consumer Product Safety Act - Planning basic policy measures and coordinating risk communication based on the Food Safety Basic Act - Supporting the activities of the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission Number of Staff 346 Promotion Council * As of the end of fiscal year 2018 Consumer Transaction Representation - Holding jurisdiction over the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, Act on Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail, and Act on the Deposit, Transaction Agreements of Specified Commodities, - Holding jurisdiction over the Acts on specified areas such Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Act, Travel Agency Act, Installment Sales Act, and Money Lending Business Act - Holding jurisdiction over the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, Household Goods Quality Labeling Act, Housing Quality Assurance Act, and the Act on Special Measures for Consumption Tax - Enforcing the Food Labeling Act, Health Promotion Act, Law for Keeping Transaction Record and Relaying Place of Origin of Rice and Rice Products, Food Sanitation Act, and JAS Act Food Labeling - Planning the Food Labeling Act, Health Promotion Act, Law for Keeping Transaction Record and Relaying Place of Origin of Rice and Rice Products, Food Sanitation Act, and JAS Act 5

4 Framework for consumer-related administrative services Prime Minister Delegation of a part of authorities to JFTC, Director-General of Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, Publication/warnings Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety Recommendation/order, guidance/education, Consumers Consultation/ complaint Advice/mediation/education Consultation/complaint via the Consumer Hotline Consumer consulting experts Local government consumer affairs centers Consumer consulting offices Assistance Proposal, Consumer Commission - An independent, third-party institution - Makes a proposal or recommendation, Consumer Affairs Agency Leadership and driving force of consumer-related administrative services - Gathering, investigating and analyzing of information in a centralized way - Communicating information and warnings in a swift manner - Government-wide efforts for cases of injuries/fatal accidents that require urgent responses - Requesting other government agencies to take appropriate actions - Response to niche area cases not covered by other lows recommendations, ) - Administration and enforcement of laws relevant to consumers' lives - Planning and devising cross-ministerial policies Consumer Safety Investigation Commission - Investigation of causes of injuries/fatal accidents Promotion Council - Discussion on promotion of consumer education Independent administrative agency The National Consumer Affairs Center - Core implementing organization - Consumer counseling, education, product testing, gathering/analysis/provision of information, public relations, ADR, Proposal, Request for measures/recommendation, Ministries & Agencies Actions/guidance Businesses Operators Certification Cooperation Communication * Recommendations are made to the Prime Minister. Qualified consumer organizations Specified qualified consumer organizations Injunction demand Collective compensation claims 6

5 Organizations associated with the Consumer Affairs Agency [Consumer Commission] The Consumer Commission was established on September 1, 2009 together with the Consumer Affairs Agency. Having a highly transparent structure that allows voices of consumers to reach it directly, it operates as an independent, third-party organization with the function to monitor the overall consumer affairs administration by the respective ministries and agencies, including the Consumer Affairs Agency. [National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan] The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan is an incorporated administrative agency supervised by the Consumer Affairs Agency, and serves as a core institution on consumer affairs in cooperation with the national government, Consumer Affairs Centers across Japan and others, as a core organization for consumer affairs administration purposes. Its main activities include the following: Advising on things like how to handle cases brought through Consumer Affairs Centers, when the solution is difficult to achieve. Providing consultation for consumers who were unable to who were unable to reach the nearest Consumer Affairs Center, Collecting information on consumer affairs consultation via PIO-NET (Practical Living Online Network System). Educating and raising awareness of consumers, and issuing requests and supplying information to governmental bodies, trade associations, Providing upskill trainings to consumer consultants and administrative officials handling consumer affairs in local governments, and organizing the qualification examination for consumer affairs consultants. Implementing non-judicial dispute resolution procedures for any consumer dispute of which solution is significant nationwide. 7