Zambia’s consumer watchdog has issued warnings to those planning to sell fake set-top boxes or decoders in the country.

The warning comes as Zambia readies to switchover to digital television signals.

Zambia’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has said it is aware of business people trying to take advantage of uninformed citizens to sell them fake set-top boxes (STBs) that may not work in Zambia.

“It is important to note that this conduct is outlawed by the Competition and Consumer Protection Act and the CCPC will not take kindly practices by business people which border on unfair trading,” CCPC said in a public notice.

It added, “As we draw near to digital terrestrial television switch-on date and subsequent analogue terrestrial television switch-off, consumers should be equipped with sufficient and relevant information to avoid inconvenience and the last minute panic”.

Zambia is in the process of migrating from analogue to digital following the approval of digital migration policy by the country cabinet.

In its digital migration policy, the Zambian government has provided for a framework to enable the private sector to import or manufacture STBs locally.

The country has; however, not yet awarded a tender for digital migration to any company after the Zambian government denied it awarded a $220 million contract to Star Software Technologies Company of China last year.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has set a digital migration deadline of June 2015.