Consumer rights endorsed as human rights
KATHMANDU:
Nepal Human Rights Commission (NHRC) — releasing market monitoring directive — endorsed economic rights of people as human rights.
The directive aims at facilitating market monitoring and protecting consumers from irregularities in the market, officer at the commission Bed Bhattarai said, adding that the primary action aims at building coordination among market monitoring agencies and providing them more rights to control irregularities.
The directive provides monitoring rights to the government agencies, consumer groups and the commission. However, the commission will not be involved on the field inspection but monitor the work of government mechanisms and consumer groups.
“NHRC will go to the market in emergency situation or it can appoint agency to investigate a particular case,” Bhattarai said, adding that it is the first step of NHRC towards protection of economic rights of the people.
Currently, Department of Commerce, Department of Food Technology and Quality Control and District Administration Offices are monitoring the market in their capacity but consumer are not satisfied with their action. The government mechanisms have not been successful in stopping cartelling, hoarding and syndicate in the market. For instance, two-year long campaign of the department has also not succeeded to endorse price-list in the market. Above 80 per cent of shops — wholesale and retails — have not displayed price-list according to Consumer Protection Act.
Consumer rights activists welcomed the directive from the commission. “It is a great achievement because it has endorsed consumer rights as human rights,” said general secretary of Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal Jyoti Baniya.
“The directive abides by the constitution and NHRC law is most powerful legal instrument in the country to check market irregularities,” he said, adding that it will make real changes in the market.
The directive has banned unfair and monopolistic trade and rationalised Promotion and Market Protection Act and Consumer Protection Act.
As consumer rights have endorsed in human rights, people suffering from rights violation can directly go to the commission for justice than the commission will issue order to respective agency. “A consumer can file case against one’s own rights violator under article 132 of the interim constitution,” said Bhattarai.
Member of the commission, Gauri Pradhan said that endorsing consumer rights in human rights is a challenge to the commission. “People have lots of expectation, so we have to adopt it as a challenge,” he said, promising to do their best to control market irregularities and protect consumer rights.
NHRC needs support from monitoring agencies and consumer activists, he added.
Joint-secretary at Ministry of Commerce and Supply Ganesh Prasad Dhakal promised to help but questioned on feasibility of food rights. “It is hard to guarantee it under current capacity of the government.”
Three cases registered
Consumer rights activists registered three cases at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asking for investigation in irregularities on milk, meat and price-list and irregularities in bills. Consumer activist Jagannath Mishra filed case against seven agencies including private sector agencies – Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Nepal Chambers of Commerce and retailer’s associations — for violating price-list provision of consumer law and irregularities in bills. Similarly, Bimala Khanal filed case against fish and meat vendors for rampant use of harmful chemicals and growth hormones. Activist Achut Raj Budhathoki filed case against seven agencies including dairy factories for not maintaining minimum standard and producing synthetic milk using harmful chemicals.
Source: THT
Nepal Human Rights Commission (NHRC) — releasing market monitoring directive — endorsed economic rights of people as human rights.
The directive aims at facilitating market monitoring and protecting consumers from irregularities in the market, officer at the commission Bed Bhattarai said, adding that the primary action aims at building coordination among market monitoring agencies and providing them more rights to control irregularities.
The directive provides monitoring rights to the government agencies, consumer groups and the commission. However, the commission will not be involved on the field inspection but monitor the work of government mechanisms and consumer groups.
“NHRC will go to the market in emergency situation or it can appoint agency to investigate a particular case,” Bhattarai said, adding that it is the first step of NHRC towards protection of economic rights of the people.
Currently, Department of Commerce, Department of Food Technology and Quality Control and District Administration Offices are monitoring the market in their capacity but consumer are not satisfied with their action. The government mechanisms have not been successful in stopping cartelling, hoarding and syndicate in the market. For instance, two-year long campaign of the department has also not succeeded to endorse price-list in the market. Above 80 per cent of shops — wholesale and retails — have not displayed price-list according to Consumer Protection Act.
Consumer rights activists welcomed the directive from the commission. “It is a great achievement because it has endorsed consumer rights as human rights,” said general secretary of Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal Jyoti Baniya.
“The directive abides by the constitution and NHRC law is most powerful legal instrument in the country to check market irregularities,” he said, adding that it will make real changes in the market.
The directive has banned unfair and monopolistic trade and rationalised Promotion and Market Protection Act and Consumer Protection Act.
As consumer rights have endorsed in human rights, people suffering from rights violation can directly go to the commission for justice than the commission will issue order to respective agency. “A consumer can file case against one’s own rights violator under article 132 of the interim constitution,” said Bhattarai.
Member of the commission, Gauri Pradhan said that endorsing consumer rights in human rights is a challenge to the commission. “People have lots of expectation, so we have to adopt it as a challenge,” he said, promising to do their best to control market irregularities and protect consumer rights.
NHRC needs support from monitoring agencies and consumer activists, he added.
Joint-secretary at Ministry of Commerce and Supply Ganesh Prasad Dhakal promised to help but questioned on feasibility of food rights. “It is hard to guarantee it under current capacity of the government.”
Three cases registered
Consumer rights activists registered three cases at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asking for investigation in irregularities on milk, meat and price-list and irregularities in bills. Consumer activist Jagannath Mishra filed case against seven agencies including private sector agencies – Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Nepal Chambers of Commerce and retailer’s associations — for violating price-list provision of consumer law and irregularities in bills. Similarly, Bimala Khanal filed case against fish and meat vendors for rampant use of harmful chemicals and growth hormones. Activist Achut Raj Budhathoki filed case against seven agencies including dairy factories for not maintaining minimum standard and producing synthetic milk using harmful chemicals.
Source: THT
