- Chapter 4 Consumer Protection Organizations and Administration
- Section 1 Consumer Protection Organizations
- Article 15The City Government shall establish a Consumer Protection Committee to formulate, deliberate on, and promote the implementation of consumer protection projects within the City. The scope of authority of the committee is as follows:
1. deliberation of consumer protection projects;
2. coordination matters of the executive authorities in relation to consumer protection projects and measures;
3. supervision of the executive authorities in the exercise of their powers.
The regulations governing the establishment of the Consumer Protection Committee, as stipulated in the preceding paragraph, shall be enacted by the City Government. - Article 16The City Government shall establish a Consumer Service Center within the Department of Legal Affairs, consisting of one chief officer and several personnel for consumer affairs, to handle consumer consultation services, education and awareness initiatives, complaints, and other related matters. The Consumer Service Center may also establish sub-centers in each district office.
- Article 17The City Government shall assign several consumer ombudsmen and personnel for consumer affairs within the Department of Legal Affairs to implement consumer protection initiatives. Where the number of consumer ombudsmen reaches three, one shall be appointed to concurrently serve as the chief consumer ombudsman.
- Article 18The City Government shall establish a Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee, consisting of seven to twenty-one members, to mediate consumer disputes within the City. The members shall serve a two-year term and may be reappointed for consecutive terms. Except for consumer ombudsmen, who shall serve as ex officio members, the other members shall be appointed by the City Government from among scholars, experts, representatives of the City Government, representatives of consumer protection groups, and representatives of professional associations to which business operators belong or are related.
The number of members appointed from the representatives of consumer protection groups and professional associations to which business operators belong or are related shall be equal. - Section 2 Consumer Protection Administration
- Article 19The Consumer Service Center shall regularly compile consumer protection executive matters submitted by the executive authorities and report them to the Consumer Protection Committee of the City Government.
- Article 20Consumer Service Center and executive authorities may, based on their available human and financial resources, conduct the following consumer education and awareness initiatives:
1. issue consumer warnings via media channels or the Internet, or create cartoons and other promotional pamphlets for widespread public education and distribution;
2. organize consumer rights education or promotional campaigns;
3. compile and publish consumer education materials;
4. delegate the Taipei City Teachers’ In-Service Education Center to conduct training sessions on consumer protection awareness and competency for teachers at all school levels within the City, and to further promote such knowledge to students via assemblies upon their return to school;
5. delegate the Department of Civil Servant Development of the City Government to conduct training sessions and seminars on consumer protection awareness and competency for civil servants of the City Government and its subordinate authorities;
6. promote awareness and understanding of consumer protection regulations and principles among business operators to proactively prevent consumer disputes;
7. issue various consumer-related information via the Internet or media channels in a timely manner. - Article 21The executive authorities or the consumer ombudsmen shall promptly conduct inspections or tests upon finding that the goods or services provided by business operators are suspected of endangering safety or sanitation.
The inspections or tests stipulated in the preceding paragraph may, for a fee, be delegated to consumer protection groups, professional associations, or other public or private entities or associations equipped with relevant inspection instruments.