The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission is calling on all businesses engaged in the importation, distribution and sale of Yo-yo Water Balls to immediately cease this conduct as this product poses a safety risk to consumers, particularly, children and babies.
The ICCC imposed a permanent ban on Yo-yo water balls on the 19th of March, 2015 as per the National Gazette No. G191.
According to the ICCC, a yo-yo water ball is a toy or novelty item that may be filled with air or liquid (e.g. water, toluene), contains a novelty feature such as a flashing light, or resemble a cartoon character. It is intended to be thrown and returned to the hand, with an elastic cord extendable to at least 500mm in length, usually with a loop on one end to wear around the finger, and a soft spongy object on the other.
ICCC Commissioner and CEO, Paulus Ain said that following a recent product safety survey ICCC inspectors and officers in NCD identified a number of traders selling the banned product in their shops.
“Fifty-two (52) shops were inspected during the product safety survey and eight (8) of these shops were found to be selling Yoyo Water Balls.” said the ICCC Commissioner.
These shops are; Shop Well Limited; Mountain Friend Limited; Sabama Supermarket; M-Jali Trading; Ping An Taurama 2; A-Mart; Hong Cheng; Waigani Bulk Traders; and Y & Q Trading.
“ICCC has commenced its investigations into the sale of this permanently banned product and will soon be prosecuting those traders that are not complying with the requirements of the product safety provisions within the ICCC Act. Any perpetrators found to be in breach of the permanent ban on yo-yo water balls will be penalized accordingly.” Mr. Ain said.
The ICCC is advising the public to report any trader that is identified to be selling this banned product.
