Global Organisation for Human Empowerment and Rights (GOHER) held a seminar on "Consumers' Rights and their Protection," at its main secretariat, which was attended by a large number people belonging to different walks of life, including traders, members of Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, government officials, and the representatives of local NGOs.
The executive member of Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Javed Iqbal Chauhdary, was also present on the occasion. In his addressing the CEO of GOHER Foundation, A.G.Chohan, said that consumer is the most important part of the commerce and trade. "Without protecting consumers' rights, we can not attain the goal of social development" Consumers' rights are the most neglected discipline in the backward regions and the exploitation of consumers' rights is the widely prevalent phenomenon, he added.
He informed the participants that GOHER Foundation is working for the protection and promotion of the consumers' rights, and a consumer support centre has been established adjacent to the District Consumers Court. An awareness campaign has been launched and the common people, youth, women are being educated on the subject matter with the help of seminars, information dissemination, informative literature and training workshops.
More than 200 volunteers (Social Leaders) actively preaching consumers' rights and legal awareness in this regard. A consumer's help line service is also under consideration through which people of the far-flung areas would have access to the Consumers' courts, he said.
He also appreciated the establishment of Consumers' Courts across the province and asked the government to expand this network further. He expressed the hope that these combined efforts of the government and GOHER Foundation would help improve the situation and would h redress the grievances of helpless consumers. Media Coordinator Nazia Mushtaq while defining the term "Consumer" and Consumer's rights said: "We are all consumers as we use goods and services in our daily life whether we are buyer or not." Consumer is a basic pillar of the economy of any state, which depends on consumer and their consumption patterns.
They are the most powerful segment of the society, she added. She further said that consumers have some rights as prevention against unjust price rise, substandard and counterfeit goods, and injustice of market and the state etc. Protection of their rights is the duty of consumers themselves. They should be united and aware of their rights. She said that only informed, motivated and organised consumers can influence the decision-making, both at government level and the market place.
Programme Coordinator Faiza Azhar described the consumer rights according to the United Nations' Consumers International Charter 1999. She said that in this Charter, eight basic rights for consumer have been declared which include: "Right to basic needs; right to safety; right to be informed, right to chose, right to be heard, right to redress, right to consumer education, and right to healthy environment.