It, indeed, is heartening to learn, from newspaper reports, that the observance of the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), on March 16, though retaining its ritual features, was marked with an increasing emphasis on the need of creating awareness to the role and rights of the consumers in this country. Notable, in this regard, were the two major events, one in Islamabad and the other in Karachi. This has reference to the participation of civil society organisations, social activists and a large number of people in the seventh national walk the Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan organised in the federal capital.
In his address, on the occasion, CRCP Secretary General, Mian Abrar Hafeez, is reported have highlighted the significance of the Day and the problems faced by the consumers, mostly focusing attention on the increase in the prices of petroleum and gas, and their deepening impact on other consumer items and utilities, poor quality of water supply, non-existence of centres to redress public grievances and to curb environmental degradation.
Moreover, he is also stated to have emphasised the need of launching a strong movement, to engage with the market and the government to protect consumer interests, attributing their plight to the neglect, corruption, malpractices and inefficiency of public sector organisations and the distortions appearing in the market itself.
In Karachi, while speaking at the closing session of the National Conference on "Consumer Protection in Pakistan" - jointly organised by Helpline Trust and Pakistan Certification Bodies Association - the Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, gave the happy tidings of the likelihood of Sindh Assembly passing a consumer protection law in the near future.
Referring to some objections to the draft law by raised MPAs, he said these would be removed through amendments in it. Dilating on the rationale behind the promulgation of Consumer Protection Ordinance in August 2004, he said it was aimed at doing, at least, something to save the people from counterfeit and substandard products.
He expressed the hope that consumer rights would be safeguarded to a greater extent, once the law is approved, with the setting up of the consumer protection council, which is in the process of formation on the lines of CPLC. Notably, the Governor proposed evolving of a comprehensive mechanism to keep a check on substandard products that pose a threat to consumer health, and establishment of a Consumer Protection Ombudsman with which people could lodge complaints about counterfeit and substandard products.
Mention may also be made of his emphasis on the need of creating awareness among the consumers about their rights, as merely laws could not help eliminate the illegal sale of substandard and counterfeit products.
All this will surely point to increasing awareness, in the concerned quarters of the predicament of the consumers from business malpractices and higher prices, mostly the problems of the people belonging to the lower and middle income groups. To say the least, it may be described, primarily, as a politically inspired approach. It will appear to have been motivated by an understandably increasing urge to win popular support in the ongoing process of empowerment of the people at the grassroots level.
This awareness should augur well for the consumers in the longer run. However the consumers' role in the market economy system has yet to be recognised. It is around the consumers' satisfaction that economic activity revolves in the private enterprise system we are desperately trying to emulate. Utter disregard of the consumer interest over a long period, though marked with stray and disjointed efforts corrective from time to time, has prevented the creation of a close relationship between the traders/manufacturers and the consumers.
Time has come to address this conceptual vacuum, otherwise it will remain impossible to build a market-based economy on durable foundations.
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