Price hike not a priority for government
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Every year, before Ramadan we hear a lot of promises to the consumers that the prices of essential commodities will remain stable but much of the times the traders get away with raising prices-and we suffer. Sure we see mobile courts and a few arrests as well but after a few days that too disappears as if the authorities have more important affairs to attend to and the price hike is not among the priorities.
The much talked about Consumer Rights Protection (CRP) Act-2009 was passed by parliament recently. However, we were also told, unless we make noises there would be little chance that the Act would become effective before Ramadan! And this is because the 'National Consumer Rights Council', which is supposed to monitor the entire process, will probably not be formed in time. Is it because the CRP Bill became the CRP Act on April Fool's Day this year?
It is no laughing matter that the consumer continues to be harassed and cheated by the vendors through sometimes ingenious and sometimes blatant manner-in weight, price and quality.
If the government is really serious about protecting consumers why not form the National Consumer Rights Council right away? They could start work immediately then and we could have a first hand experience whether this experiment (the CRP Act) will work. The government did say it plans to launch a massive awareness campaign across the country about the provisions of the CRP Act. Just doing that will hardly be sufficient. They would really have to come down hard against hoarders and cheats among the traders and vendors. And yes, also against those in the state machinery involved with these people.
Tajul Islam
Babar Road, Mohammadpur
Dhaka
The much talked about Consumer Rights Protection (CRP) Act-2009 was passed by parliament recently. However, we were also told, unless we make noises there would be little chance that the Act would become effective before Ramadan! And this is because the 'National Consumer Rights Council', which is supposed to monitor the entire process, will probably not be formed in time. Is it because the CRP Bill became the CRP Act on April Fool's Day this year?
It is no laughing matter that the consumer continues to be harassed and cheated by the vendors through sometimes ingenious and sometimes blatant manner-in weight, price and quality.
If the government is really serious about protecting consumers why not form the National Consumer Rights Council right away? They could start work immediately then and we could have a first hand experience whether this experiment (the CRP Act) will work. The government did say it plans to launch a massive awareness campaign across the country about the provisions of the CRP Act. Just doing that will hardly be sufficient. They would really have to come down hard against hoarders and cheats among the traders and vendors. And yes, also against those in the state machinery involved with these people.
Tajul Islam
Babar Road, Mohammadpur
Dhaka