Speech by Minister Gan Kim Yong at the CASE Partners' Appreciation Dinner 2024

Mr Melvin Yong, President of CASE,

Distinguished Guests,

Introduction

1. Good evening. Thank you for inviting me to join you tonight to show our appreciation for your partners.

2. First, let me thank all of you for your dedication towards advocating for fair business practices and advancing consumer interests in Singapore. Since 1971, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) has played an important role in shaping our consumer rights landscape. Through its relentless efforts over the years, CASE has strengthened Singapore’s reputation as a trusted and vibrant hub for consumers to shop with confidence.

25 years of CaseTrust and CASE Mediation Centre

3. In conjunction with World Consumer Rights Day, we are celebrating the Silver Jubilee for CaseTrust and the CASE Mediation Centre today. These initiatives have significantly enhanced consumer protection in Singapore.

4. CASE set up its Mediation Centre in 1999 to provide a swift and affordable means for consumers to resolve disputes with businesses, without the need for court action. 25 years later, the Centre has grown from its initial team of 40 volunteers to nearly triple its size today. Consumers may be heartened to know that the mediation services boast a high 75% success rate in resolving disputes. In total, CASE has recovered more than $7.5 million for consumers. I commend CASE for your efforts and achievements.

5. The CaseTrust Accreditation Scheme set up by CASE has also reached its 25-year mark and has grown from strength to strength. Since 1999, CaseTrust has partnered many industry stakeholders to raise business standards and promote fair trading practices. CASE has rolled out accreditation schemes under CaseTrust across eight sectors: renovation, beauty, direct selling, jewellery, motoring, gold, retail and most recently, e-businesses. There are more than 1,200 CaseTrust-accredited outlets today, a 13% increase from 2020. Reported prepayment losses have also dropped by 26% in 2023, reversing the trend from 2020 to 2022.

6. I am happy that CASE is expanding CaseTrust to include more sectors and businesses involved in skill-based professions. This will encourage smaller or skill-based businesses to uplift professionalism and standards, differentiating them from their competitors while offering consumers with more trusted and credible options to patronise.

Commitment to strengthen consumer protection as needs evolve

7. Our consumer protection framework has also been progressively enhanced over the years. I appreciate CASE’s strong partnership with the Government to address consumer-related issues, including regulatory reviews leading to the passage of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA) in 2003 and the Lemon Law in 2012. CASE has also sustained its efforts to educate consumers and empower them to seek a fair deal. For example, CASE launched the Price Kaki app in 2019, which enables consumers to compare prices of daily essentials and cooked food across different brands and stores near them. Since 2023, CASE has further enhanced Price Kaki by implementing unit pricing for over 6,000 grocery items, and most recently adding a community feature that allows users to share reviews, in-store promotions, and tips to help others stretch their dollar.

8. With fast-evolving consumer preferences and the advent of technology-enabled innovative business models, there are new challenges in the consumer protection regime that have to be addressed. Research released by Boston Consulting Group in October 2023 found that e-commerce is forecasted to make up 41% of global retail sales by 2027, a significant increase from its share of just 18% in 2017. Social media platforms have also emerged as powerful channels for shopping and discovery. Based on the Singapore Social Commerce Intelligence Report 2023, the social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily averaging 40% per annum between 2023 to 2028.

9. However, e-commerce complaints received by CASE have also increased in tandem by a sharp 47% in 2023. New dimensions of consumer vulnerability have emerged, with consumers at risk of encountering scams with unverified vendors or counterfeit products, misuse of personal data, unfair practices in cancellations and refunds and price gouging.

10. These are not easy issues to deal with, but MTI will continue to work with CASE and industry stakeholders to unpack and address these issues. I look forward to our continued close partnership as we strengthen consumer safeguards, promote fair trading and bolster confidence in Singapore’s economy.

Conclusion

11. In closing, I want to thank CASE, the associations, businesses, volunteers, and all of you here tonight for the good work on raising local awareness on consumer rights, protection and empowerment. A special thanks to the awardees today who have made significant contributions to CaseTrust and the Mediation Centre over the past 25 years. Thank you.