April 13, 2006

In developing countries, due to the lack of effective laws and awareness consumers are manipulated by glossy and misleading advertisements and are cheated into buying substandard and counterfeit products, observes Hamid Maker

In 1962, US President, John F. Kennedy defined consumers as “The largest economic group in the economy, affecting and affected by almost every public and private economic decision. But they are the only important group whose views are often not heard.”

The definition has its origins in Kennedy’s declaration of four basic consumer rights which include: the right to safety; the right to be informed; the right to choose and the right to be heard. To these, the consumer movement has in recent years added four more points: the right to satisfaction of basic needs; the right to redress; the right to education and the right to a healthy environment.

Together these eight points form the basis for the ongoing work by Consumers International (CI) and consumer groups all over the globe. The above mentioned rights provide a framework for strengthening national consumer protection policies.

The World Consumer Rights Day was introduced in 1983 by Consumers International (CI), and later on the UN adopted the guidelines set out by CI for the protection of consumer rights. This gave a much needed boost to the otherwise neglected issues of the consumers.

The World Consumer Rights Day is observed on March 15 every year. Consumers are the largest stakeholders in any country. In the developed countries they are treated with respect and are protected by strong and effective Consumer Protection Laws and Consumer Courts.

Unfortunately, in developing countries the situation is quite opposite and due to the lack of effective laws and awareness, consumers are manipulated by glossy and misleading advertisements and are cheated into buying substandard and counterfeit products.

In Pakistan, there are only two consumer protection acts but both are dormant. The government has made half-hearted attempts to introduce changes and protect the interests of the consumers.

The Consumer Protection Ordinance of Sindh was signed on August 12, 2004. But the ordinance lapsed, as it was never presented to the Sindh Assembly for ratification.

Six months back the Governor of Sindh established a Consumer Rights Council (CRC). One of the objectives of the council is to check the prices of essential food items. However, the CRC has not as yet taken any effective measures to address the grievances of the consumers.

Yousuf Jamal, the Honorary Ombudsman of Sindh, also announced the establishment of Consumer Protection Authority (CPA), a body which would include elected representatives and eminent citizens of the society and would curb institutional and departmental malpractices and protect the consumers’ rights in Sindh. Unfortunately, the announcement did not materialise into practical action and the CPA was never established.

In Pakistan, the consumers have an indifferent attitude which only harms their own interests. They never protest or lodge a complaint against high prices or substandard products or services.

To sensitise the neglected issue of consumer protection and commemorate World Consumer Rights Day, Helpline Trust and Pakistan Certification Bodies Association recently organised a two-day regional conference on ‘Building Partnerships for Strong Consumer Protection in South East Asia’.

The conference was attended by delegates from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Fiji and Pakistan.

The delegates signed a declaration emphasising that the nine billion consumers need to be protected, and called on the international community to work towards this goal.

The delegates also stressed upon the need to develop and launch consumer protection initiatives, largely not available in the developing world which houses a large majority of the world consumers. The declaration also called upon policy makers in South Asian and Pacific region, to develop action plans for consumer protection along with adequate monitoring and measurement processes for assessing the effectiveness of these policies.

To foster the objectives of this declaration, the participants of the Karachi conference proposed to create an ‘Asian Alliance for Sustainability and Consumer Protection’, which would work to develop a common agenda.

To empower consumers, CPC has also established a Consumer Complaint Cell through their website www.helplinetrust.org.pk.

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)