Anti-counterfeiting Media Campaign Conference kicks off in Egypt
As part of the state’s role to protect consumers’ rights and fix market mechanisms, Ministries of Supply and Domestic Trade as well as of Military Production are launching Saturday “The Interactive System for Brand Protection: A Media Campaign Conference”.
The event aims to create a new interaction between consumers and products under “The Interactive Protection of Brands” System.
The new interactive anti-counterfeit system is based on having barcode labels on authentic products to reassure customers that they are not buying fake goods and commodities, which have bad impact on humans’ health and economy on the whole.
It will ensure whether products are authentic or not.
The barcode label will consist of 14 digits and QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code). When the customer buys a product, he/she would send an sms text message for the number written in the QR code at 4567 to instantly receive a reply assuring whether the purchased product is authentic or not, as pursuant to a database of the Ministry of Military Production’s server.
Launching this system comes as a result of the growing amounts of fake and corrupt foods being recently offered for sales in the market, driven by the lack of community awareness about the importance of having a quality control on products, the increase in the number of unlicenced food factories and companies. Ministry of Supply has detected several factories working without government licence.
Moreover, the media campaign seeks to create an interactive system to protect brands and market, as well as to ensure the quality of products, targeting an anti-counterfeit market. This system will also enable brand owners to easily reach customers by using innovative marketing techniques. It will safeguard the database of the firms operating in the market through the IT Centre Authority, Ministry of Military Production.
This conference is the first of its kind to be held in Egypt; it will involve making the guests have a live interactive experience by letting them enter the 14 digits QR code of any product to know information about the manufacturer and ensure whether it is an original or fake one.
This system will start operation in sectors of food, beverage, and pharmaceuticals.
By applying this system, the Egyptian market will witness some regulation and less counterfeit occurrences in various industrial products, notably in sectors of food, beverage, car manufacturing, technology, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural pesticides. The most affected by counterfeiting and repacking activities was the agricultural pesticides sector.
During the conference, Egypt’s Minister of Supply haled Hanafy will present a film clip to demonstrate the benefits of using the new interactive protection system.
Minister Hanafy as well as Minister of Military Production Mohamed El-Assar have inaugurated the conference.
Over 500 local and international firms are attending Saturday’s event.
Additionally, Moustafa Sadeq – Head of IT Centre at Ministry of Military Production, Ahlam Roshday – Chairman of Internal Trade Development Authority (ITDA), and Atef Yaqoub – Chairman of Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) are also taking part in the conference.
