The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) conducted an extensive 24,761 raids in 2024, resulting in 23,953 cases being filed. Magistrate’s Courts concluded many of these cases, imposing fines exceeding Rs. 207 million.
The raids targeted violations of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, including overcharging, misrepresentation of product details, failure to display prices, lack of warranties for electrical appliances, withholding bills, anti-competitive practices, and unfair trade conditions.
Consumer goods such as food, cosmetics, medicines, building materials, and electrical appliances were inspected, with rice (3,114 raids), bread (1,624 raids), and biscuits (1,086 raids) being the most frequently targeted items.
Inspections were carried out nationwide, focusing on supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, clothing stores, mobile phone outlets, and cosmetics shops.
Districts like Kurunegala, Gampaha, Kandy, Kegalle, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Ampara, Batticaloa, and Matara led the efforts, with Kurunegala alone accounting for 2,282 raids.
For 2025, officers have been instructed to act swiftly on complaints, conduct island-wide inspections, and use intelligence to identify violations, ensuring prompt legal action against offenders.
