Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro has said that the government at every level is conscious of the problems of the consumers and remedial measures are being taken.
Addressing a seminar on 'Consumer Rights in Pakistan', organised by 'Consumer Foundation' in collaboration with Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) at the Federation House here to observe World Consumer Day, he said that city governments were also very consumer-friendly and across the country were taking positive steps to help them.
The outcome of such efforts may not be visible in a short time but has a long-term impact. He said that the consumer plight was result of interplay of four main parties and they are: growers, traders, government functionaries and the consumer.
In the supply chain of food products and services, the link between the growers and consumers is established by traders. The strength of this chain is subject to the strength of each of the links. The government's role is to ensure that none of these links is weakened due to the exploitation of one by the other.
He said, "In our society for various reasons one of the links, ie, trader, has become too strong and whenever there is pressure on the chain, the weak links tend to break. The weak links are the growers and the consumers and there is a dire need to strengthen these".
Soomro said that the government has to create or devise a system, which would ensure that the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the growers or the manufacturers and the needs of the consumers are not exploited. "Unfortunately, this phenomenon of exploitation is universal and natural," he added.
He said that the developed countries exploit the Third World countries by purchasing raw materials and raw food products at throwaway prices, and then supplying the processed items back to them by adding high value to the same.
At times even prices of raw materials are laid down by the so-called developed countries. The same phenomenon takes place at the growers level where the farmers, particularly small producers, become victims of ruthless intermediaries and are often forced to sell their products at prices which are lower than their production cost.
He said that this reduction of price does not reach the consumers and its only beneficiary is the intermediary, the trader.
He said that there are many factors, which breed this unjust exploitation of the growers and consumers. These include lack of foresight in planning on the part of government departments, imbalance in demand and supply of food and services, weak and poor legislation to protect the rights of consumers and, above all, poor business ethics.
The Senate chairman said: "No doubt, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure availability of consumer goods at fair prices and also to ensure food security, but no government in the world can discharge the responsibility without the support and contribution of the other three players of the game ie, consumer, producer of the goods and the trader."
He said that consumer goods are numerous and the consumer has the right to get all these at a fair price. Mohammadmain assured the audience that he would study the ordinance prepared by Consumer Foundation and would try to implement the new consumer ordinance across the country by initiating it through Senate.
City Nazim Mustafa Kamal said that he was aware of the fact that the role of government "is of primary importance" in checking unjustified price hike, adulteration and counterfeit products, but it was also a reality that most of the departments of the city government failed to organise themselves and were still running on ad hoc basis.
He said that to control the prices in the holy month of Ramazan, magisterial powers were given to city government officials but the execution of penalty took more than six months and the penalty was so minimal that never exceeded more than a few days' imprisonment and a few thousand rupees fine. " with this, no benefit can ever be derived by the consumers".
He said that the city government has urged the concerned authorities to increase the imprisonment to six months and fine to the extent of Rs 100,000.
Welcoming the guests, the President of 'Consumer Foundation', Huma Bukhari, said that in Pakistan 'Consumer Foundation' has taken the initiative to look after the interests of consumers and for the past 7 years the Foundation has been striving to protect their rights. She said that the Foundation has pledged not only to educate the consumers of there rights but also be able to fight for them on various fronts.