The negative impact of counterfeit products on your people and your economy

Halliday Finch recently presented on “the negative impact of counterfeit products on your people and your economy” at the Container Control Programme (CCP) developed by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Uganda.

This programme was launched in 2003 to assist Governments to create sustainable enforcement structures in selected sea/dry ports in order to minimize the risk of maritime containers being used for illicit activities.

These activities include trafficking of wildlife and forest products, illicit drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. At the heart of the CCP is the creation and training of joint port control units (JPCUs). The JCPU is an inter-agency unit composed of the State Revenue Authority, Police Service, Wildlife and forest authority, and the relevant port authorities. Currently, the CCP is implemented in Kenya; Tanzania and Uganda in East Africa and implemented in 43 countries in total – these include Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Senegal and Togo.

Such programmes and partnerships are critical to ensuring the reduction of the vulnerability of the region to be exploited by these activities. Sam Mattock, Halliday Finch’s Managing Director, explained: “This has to be a joint effort. The public sector and the private sector working together seamlessly to combat the same enemy – counterfeiters. Every counterfeit tablet we take off the streets is possibly saving a life”.

The picture shows the Assistant Commissioner for Enforcement, Ms. Agnes Nabwire. There was a total of 32 law enforcement agents from Uganda participating in the training, including representatives from the Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda Police and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

For more information on Halliday Finch’s work to combat counterfeiters, please download our brochure here.

The picture shows the Assistant Commissioner for Enforcement, Ms. Agnes Nabwire.