Consumer rights protection act yet to be fully implemented
FE Report | Wednesday, 16 March 2011
FE Report
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan Tuesday said consumer rights protection act has not yet been fully implemented in the country due to lack of manpower. He said, "I wrote to Public Service Commi-ssion (PSC) for providing adequate manpower for National Consumer Rights Protection Department (NCRPD) and I am hopeful it will be done soon. And then we will be able to accelerate the programme at district level." He said this, while addressing a seminar titled "Consumers for Fair Financial Services" organised by NCRPD and Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) at BIAM multipurpose hall in the city as the chief guest. The commerce minister said the issue of financial services was not included in the existing consumer rights protection act, 2009. So this issue will get a special focus in the revised act. Addressing the seminar, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) Atiur Rahman said: "The act and administrative structure of government are not sufficient to establish and protect the rights of the consumers; the people should have to be made aware about the act and have to be active." Mr Rahman said, as a regulator of banking and financial sector, BB is always concerned about protecting the rights in services provided by those in the financial sector although it does not come within the purview of 'Consumer Protection Act-2009. Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) executive director Mustafizur Rahman emphasised the need for providing on 'fair' financial services to both urban and rural people and made strong pleas for inclusion of financial services sector in the revised act. Selim Raihan presented the keynote paper at the seminar while commerce secretary Md Gholam Hossain presided over it. Parliamentary standing committee for commerce chairman Abul Kashem and president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) AK Azad, among others, spoke in the seminar.
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan Tuesday said consumer rights protection act has not yet been fully implemented in the country due to lack of manpower. He said, "I wrote to Public Service Commi-ssion (PSC) for providing adequate manpower for National Consumer Rights Protection Department (NCRPD) and I am hopeful it will be done soon. And then we will be able to accelerate the programme at district level." He said this, while addressing a seminar titled "Consumers for Fair Financial Services" organised by NCRPD and Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) at BIAM multipurpose hall in the city as the chief guest. The commerce minister said the issue of financial services was not included in the existing consumer rights protection act, 2009. So this issue will get a special focus in the revised act. Addressing the seminar, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) Atiur Rahman said: "The act and administrative structure of government are not sufficient to establish and protect the rights of the consumers; the people should have to be made aware about the act and have to be active." Mr Rahman said, as a regulator of banking and financial sector, BB is always concerned about protecting the rights in services provided by those in the financial sector although it does not come within the purview of 'Consumer Protection Act-2009. Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) executive director Mustafizur Rahman emphasised the need for providing on 'fair' financial services to both urban and rural people and made strong pleas for inclusion of financial services sector in the revised act. Selim Raihan presented the keynote paper at the seminar while commerce secretary Md Gholam Hossain presided over it. Parliamentary standing committee for commerce chairman Abul Kashem and president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) AK Azad, among others, spoke in the seminar.