CONSUMER RIGHTS: Revised Act to give govt agencies more teeth

KATHMANDU, DEC 22 -

Government agencies will now have the power they always needed to curb unethical practices in the market. Thanks to the amendment to the Consumer Protection Act 1997 by the Bill Committee of the Cabinet. The committee on Tuesday approved the amended version of the Act to be forwarded to the Cabinet.

 According to the amended draft, market inspection officers will have semi-judicial powers to slap fines of Rs 500 to Rs 15,000 on the spot on wrongdoers depending on the seriousness of the act.

Marketers will be liable to pay fines if they fail to maintain a price list of the commodities the sell, sell outdated goods, neglect hygiene in shops and warehouses and cheat customers with tampered weighing machines.

The Act further has a provision for consumer courts—one each in all the 14 zones—that will solve cases related to consumers’ rights in a fast and efficient manner. The court will be headed by a district court judge or some other eligible person.

“Despite the increased market monitoring drive, we have not been able to take legal action against many wrongdoers given the lengthy legal procedure,” said Tika Bhandari, the under-secretary at the Department of Commerce (DoC). He said the formation of consumer courts will help speed up action against black marketeers and ensure consumers’ rights.

With complaints from consumers against malpractices in the market ever increasing, the DoC had been working to amend the Act for the past two years. Bhandari said that after the implementation of the amended Act, there will be a central level monitoring committee under the coordination of the Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies. “Ifany businessman is found guilty of repeating mistakes, s/he will be fined double,” he said.

For a long time now, consumers are having to face food adulteration, unnatural price hikes, unhygienic products and premises, cartels and the syndicate system in public transport. However, the perpetrators are not punished because of the lengthy legal procedures, according to the consumer rights forum.

“There is a demand for the revision of the Act based on the emerging challenges in the market,” said Jyoti Baniya, the general secretary of Consumers’ Rights Protection Forum. He said that with the amendment of the Act, the government will also establish a Consumer Protection Fund and Consumer Information Centres at the DoC and at the local level under the district offices of the DoC.

Source: Kantipur