What complaint steps does consumer protection in Guinea-Bissau provide when a supplier refuses to resolve a dispute?

Send the supplier a written complaint and preserve the contract, payment proof, photographs, screenshots, product identifiers and replies. If the matter remains unresolved, contact the relevant sector authority or ACOBES, and consider the courts, Ministério Público or police where civil or criminal proceedings may apply.

Which body handles a telecommunications consumer complaint in Guinea-Bissau?

ARN handles telecommunications user interests, tariffs, service quality, complaints and dispute resolution. Start with the provider, keep the complaint record, and escalate to ARN if the provider does not resolve the matter.

Where can a consumer report unsafe food or counterfeit products in Guinea-Bissau?

Report food-safety, expired-goods, origin and counterfeit-product concerns to IGCAMDR or the responsible ministry, and involve the police or Ministério Público when the conduct may be criminal. Keep the product, batch information, photographs, purchase proof and supplier communications whenever possible.

Consumer protection in Guinea-Bissau

Q: What response periods apply to a consumer financial complaint in Guinea-Bissau?

A bank or SFD has a maximum response period of one month under Circulaire 002-2020/CB/C. A payment-service provider has a maximum response period of seven working days; unresolved banking or SFD complaints may then be taken to the Commission Bancaire de l'UMOA or an available national mediation channel.

Consumer protection in Guinea-Bissau is fragmented across sector rules, contract law and public-health controls rather than one general consumer code. Complaints usually begin with the supplier and then move to the relevant regulator, public authority, ACOBES or a court. Financial complaints have formal response periods, while general return, refund and warranty rules are not established as a uniform national system.

Tip

Treat consumer protection in Guinea-Bissau as a sector-by-sector process, not as a single nationwide remedy system. Put every complaint in writing, preserve proof, and choose the responsible authority early; food, basic utilities, telecommunications, financial services and fraud generally deserve the fastest escalation.

byAissatou&Abdu

Guinea-Bissau has no evidenced modern national consumer law, general consumer ombudsman, unified complaints portal or comprehensive catalogue of consumer rights. The Código Civil can provide a contractual basis, and public-health rules apply to food and health risks, but suppliers' conditions and sector-specific rules often determine the practical result. No general national rule has been established for withdrawal periods, warranties, refunds, mandatory receipts, standard consumer contracts, transparent clauses or collective consumer lawsuits. European Union or Portuguese consumer rules should not be assumed to apply automatically. A practical complaint starts with a written request to the supplier or service provider. Keep the contract, invoice or payment proof, photographs, screenshots, serial or batch numbers and all replies. If the supplier does not resolve the matter, use the authority for the relevant sector or contact ACOBES, a civil-society consumer association that can collect complaints, support mediation and create public pressure. ACOBES cannot issue a binding administrative decision. Civil or criminal proceedings may be available through the Tribunais de Bairro or Regional courts, the Ministério Público or the police, depending on the facts. ANC-GB has been under institutional development since 2022, but no general consumer-remedy path through it is evidenced. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Tourism and Handicrafts and IGCAMDR, the inspection body for commerce, industry, handicrafts, consumer safety and food, are relevant for defective or unsafe goods, expired food, misleading origin information, price problems and supply concerns. Guinea-Bissau has no evidenced standard return or refund period for ordinary purchases. Food controls also involve the Ministério da Saúde and Ministério da Agricultura under Decree No. 62-E/92. A unified recall, refund or compensation procedure for unsafe health products or food has not been established in the available evidence. Pharmaceutical matters can be directed to the Ministério da Saúde Pública, Serviços Farmacêuticos or DIFARLM, and the national essential-medicines list can help identify covered medicines. Telecommunications complaints fall mainly within ARN, the communications regulator responsible for user interests, tariffs, service quality, complaints and dispute resolution. Digital purchases have no evidenced dedicated e-commerce consumer law or comprehensive data-protection framework, so the provider's terms, the available telecom rules, contract law and proof of the transaction remain significant. For electricity and water, EAGB handles the supply relationship. Billing, prepaid meters, interruptions and service quality can be raised with EAGB, the Ministry of Energy or ACOBES, but no independent utility ombudsman, uniform complaint deadline or general fee schedule is evidenced. Financial services are more formally regulated through UMOA rules. Banks, decentralized financial systems known as SFDs, electronic-money institutions and payment providers should provide an internal complaint process. Under Circulaire 002-2020/CB/C, a bank or SFD complaint has a maximum response period of one month, while payment-service providers have a maximum response period of seven working days. Unresolved banking or SFD complaints can be escalated to the Commission Bancaire de l'UMOA or a national mediation channel where available; a local OQSF equivalent is not evidenced. Errors in BIC information should be reported to the BIC or the relevant bank or SFD. The costs of escalation are not clearly established. For air-passenger matters, AACGB provides passenger assistance, advance rights information, a list of certified companies and complaint forms. Local rules on delays, cancellations, baggage, refunds and package travel are not consolidated in the available evidence. Fraud reports may concern counterfeit products, unsafe or expired food, false origin claims, overcharging, telecom tariffs or payment fraud. Report the matter to IGCAMDR or the responsible ministry, ARN, AACGB, the financial supervisors, the police or the Ministério Público according to the sector and conduct involved. Portuguese is the main language of administration and legal procedures. Public institutions are concentrated in Bissau, and written complaints, supporting evidence and digital access can be difficult in regional or rural areas. Guinea-Bissau has no reliable national matrix of consumer fees and deadlines; outside the financial sector, handling times usually depend on the authority, provider and case. Court and administrative duration is not consolidated. These limits make dated evidence, a clear written demand and the correct sector channel central to effective consumer protection.