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Consumer Protection Law needed to control prices

KARACHI: Brig. Qamarussalam Khan (Retd), a former director general of Bureau of Supply and Prices Sindh, said profiteering in Ramazan cannot be prevented through mobile magistrates and complaint centres, but by providing Consumers Institutionalised backing and recourse to law.

The public grievances in this regard can be redressed through promulgation of "Consumer Protection Law" he suggested while talking to APP.

In the absence of such legal protection, Brig. Qamar observed, the Consumer Organisation in Pakistan are rendered ineffective.

He pointed out that it was as early as 1935 that the UN General Assembly adopted a set of guidelines on consumer protection for its members countries. These guidelines covered the following areas:

Ñ Protection of consumers from hazards to their health and safety.

Ñ Promotion and production of consumer interests to include satisfactory production, adequate distribution methods and fair business practices.

Ñ Access of consumers to adequate information regarding products,

Ñ Consumer education about health hazards, weights and measures, prices, quality and credit conditions,

Ñ Arrangements for redressal of consumer complaints, through promotion of consumer organisations.

The UN General Assembly had also advised the member countries to give emphasis to food, pharmaceuticals and water.

Brig. Qamar said the International Organisation of Consumer Union (IOCU) was formed as a World Centre for Consumer affairs located at Hague. It links the activities of over 250 consumer organisations formed under Consumer Protective Laws of their respective countries. Even a small country like Sri Lanka promulgated an effective Consumer Protection Act 1979, he added.

The former Bureau chief said that a Draft Consumer Protection Bill was approved by Federal Cabinet in January 1992 and was sent for comments to Provincial Government and FPCCI. Since then nothing seems to have materialised.

He said it seems that this sound proposal has been brushed aside by vested interests or bureaucratic procedures.

Brig. Qamar pointed out that Consumer Resistance can only be generated and sustained if a legal recourse is provided for the redress of their grievances.

Thus the objective of price stabilisation can be achieved to a satisfactory level by the government through promulgation of Consumer Protection Act at Federal and Provincial levels, he emphasised.

He said the present government which is very keen to promote honest and meaningful grass root organisations with public participation, is well advised not to neglect this important aspect of public interest, particularly to safeguard the basic rights of the consumers enshrined in the guidelines articulated by the UN General Assembly. APP