Consumer protection in Congo

The Commission de la Concurrence (COMCO), under the Ministère de l’Économie nationale, handles competition, prices, deceptive commercial practices and dangerous or nonconforming products across goods and services sectors under Law n°18/020 of 9 July 2018. Its consumer e-complaint service can address misleading practices, unlawful price increases and rights violations, and it accepts reports about dangerous products. A COMCO filing does not guarantee an individual refund or compensation. Provincial representations are claimed, but detailed contacts may depend on the location. Sellers and service providers must display prices or tariffs visibly, legibly and unambiguously under Arrêté ministériel n°046/CAB/MINET/ECO NAT/JKN/2018. An invoice or receipt should identify the transaction, quantities or services, unit and total prices, taxes and discounts. The seller remains responsible for defects in the invoice. The reviewed national framework does not evidence a general withdrawal right, universal refund right, unified warranty regime or comprehensive product-liability system, so remedies often depend on the contract, the sector and the available proof. Start with the seller, provider, operator or financial institution and make the complaint in a traceable form. Keep the quote, invoice, contract, delivery record, warranty, screenshots, messages, dates, transaction identification and witness details. If the matter remains unresolved, the competent sector body may be the Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC) for regulated financial institutions, the Autorité de Régulation de la Poste et des Télécommunications du Congo (ARPTC) for telecommunications and digital communications, the Autorité de Régulation du secteur de l’Électricité (ARE) for electricity, or the Autorité de l’Aviation Civile (AAC/RDC) for aviation matters. COMCO is suited to price, deceptive-practice, competition and dangerous-product issues. Consumer associations, mediation where available and civil or commercial courts may provide additional assistance, but no unified national alternative-dispute pathway is evidenced. For banking, the BCC framework includes Instruction n°37 on free banking services, Instruction n°38 on disclosure of the effective global rate, Instruction n°39 on customer complaints and Instruction n°40 on publication of banking conditions. Credit institutions and microfinance institutions must maintain an internal complaint mechanism with simple and rapid amicable handling. The usual sequence is a provider complaint, escalation to the BCC within its mandate and, where necessary, court proceedings. Electronic money and mobile-money disputes also require checking the provider or electronic-money institution terms and applicable BCC rules; no universal statutory chargeback or refund right is evidenced. Telecommunications subscribers have rights under Law n°20/017 of 25 November 2020, including service quality and regularity, provider choice, non-discrimination, tariff information, communication secrecy, personal-data protection and prior information about suspension. Complaints may concern poor quality, abusive clauses, delayed activation, after-sales failures, misleading advertising, incorrect billing, abusive disconnection or damaged or lost postal items. The provider should receive the first documented complaint before escalation to ARPTC or a consumer organisation. ARPTC handling is free, and the consumer centre can be reached at 155. ARPTC reported that operators resolved 99% of 3,991 complaints in May 2024, while 1% were escalated; its June 2025 report recorded 278 complaints, including blocked SIM cards, blocked accounts and electronic-money losses. Electricity customers receive contractual rights concerning access, prices, connections, interruptions, complaint information, service quality, compliant meters and periodic itemised bills. They must subscribe when occupying new premises, declare the required power, maintain a compliant installation, pay on time and report damage or fraud. The customer should complain first to the supplier and then to ARE if the dispute remains unresolved. ARE accepts online and physical complaints, and its admissibility rules include a five-day limit from the dispute when no intervening action has occurred. Electricity overbilling has also been the subject of ARE enforcement in 2025. Air travel is governed through the air-transport contract, aviation law and, for international carriage, the Montreal Convention. AAC/RDC regulates aviation safety, security and certification. The reviewed sources do not evidence a unified Congolese package-travel regime or a general statutory compensation system for flight delays and cancellations. Begin with the airline or agency, contact AAC for regulatory or safety matters and assess any court or Convention claim according to the particular journey and deadline. For medicines, food, phytosanitary products, cosmetics and hygiene products, the Ministère de la Santé regulates the relevant market and controls private medical and pharmaceutical establishments and laboratories. ANAMED and ACOREP appear in official health-sector information, but the operational mandate and status of the reported 2025 ANAMED reform must be verified. For suspected counterfeit or substandard health products, preserve the packaging and proof of purchase, contact a licensed seller or pharmacy and notify the competent health authority or inspection service. COMCO may also receive a report where the issue concerns dangerous or nonconforming products or market conduct. When fraud is suspected, preserve the receipt, contract, screenshots, transaction ID, phone or account data, messages, dates and witness information. Ask the provider, financial institution or telecommunications operator immediately about blocking the account, line or transaction and document the request. Do not disclose a PIN or one-time password. A reversal or refund depends on the provider and applicable rules, and no universal statutory guarantee is evidenced. Suspected criminal conduct may also require contacting the police or prosecutorial authorities. Official regulator offices are concentrated in Kinshasa, although access and enforcement can vary by sector and province. ARPTC complaints are free; ARE provides online and physical channels, while court proceedings may involve fees, representation and travel. Informal purchases can be harder to prove because they may lack invoices or traceable transaction records. The practical distinction is therefore between the first provider complaint, sector-specific regulatory escalation, COMCO action for market and product issues, and a civil, commercial or criminal proceeding when the facts require it.