The Consumer Rights Day

The World Consumer Rights Day, initially observed on March 15, 1983, was internationally celebrated this year with 'Energy: Sustainable access for all', as the theme of the day is to promote eight basic rights of consumers, namely, right to safety, information, choice, representation, redress, education, satisfaction and healthy environment.
It was around promotion of these rights that the events was held across the world this year, with a marked focus on their abuse, along with unethical practices, lack of legislation, and regulatory framework.
For Pakistan, this year's theme could be seen as ideally relevant, as it will be all the more advisable to tie up with consumer organisations vigorously campaigning for expeditiously translating into action, the provisions of declarations on the future of energy.
The observance of the day in Pakistan was marked, according to a news report, by three major events planned by the Network for Consumer Protection to create awareness of consumer rights.
Another news report had it that the Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan organised its seventh national walk in the federal capital last Sunday, and several civil society organisations, social activists, and a large number of people from different walks of life participated in it.
The CRCP Secretary-General, Mian Abrar Hafeez, addressing the participants, highlighted the significance of the WCRD, and the problems being faced by the consumers in Pakistan.
In this regard, he was reported to have made pointed references to unjustified increase in prices of petroleum and gases, and its spiral impact on consumer items and utilities.
More to this, he focused attention also on the supply of poor quality water by civic agencies, absence of adequate centres to redress complaints, and increasing environment degradation.
He also emphasised the need for an effective and strong consumer movement, to engage itself with the market forces and for the government to promote consumers' interests.
Moreover, speaking on the occasion, Tehrik-e-Sarifin Pakistan Secretary-General, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, is reported to have presented a bleak picture of citizens' rights in Pakistan, noting that consumers are always vulnerable to neglect, and that they suffer due to corruption, malpractice's and inefficiency of the public sector and market forces.
In so far as the theme of the day was concerned, it will, be noted that attention happened to be focused on security of energy delivery, while the prime concern of consumers in chronically energy starved countries like Pakistan, revolves around access to safe, affordable and sustainable energy.
Although the people, particularly in the predominantly poor rural areas where a large bulk of the country's population is concentrated, seem condemned to live largely much below the poverty line and take electricity as a luxury.
It is painfully evident that secret of alleviation of their misery lies more in access to it. Of late, taking serious note of the compulsions of the situation, relating to production of power, the government has focused its attention on tapping renewable sources of energy.
This has been prompted by an understandable urge to accelerate the pace of electrification of rural areas, along with a marked focus on the coastal belts where prospects of inexpensive wind energy seem to have attracted added attention. The same can be said about the thrust on solar and other sources of low cost alternative sources of energy.
However, in so far as consumers of power in this country are concerned, there will appear to be the crying need of resolving their predicament. For one thing, what is needed the most is development viable service, focusing consumer affordability and sustainable access.
It will be in the fitness of things for consumer organisations not only to create awareness of consumer rights, but also, effectively, to interact with producers and regulators to ensure safeguards for their interests too, in all spheres of commercial activity.