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| Tuesday, 25 March 2003 |
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Consumers should hold key to ensure fair trading practices On World Consumer Day the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs stated that parliamentary approval has been obtained for the implementation of the Consumer Authority Act, which will bring under one umbrella, the administration of consumer affairs and the formation of a new unit known as the Consumer Affairs Authority. This bill is intended to promote effective competition to ensure the protection of the consumer. However, for this bill to be effective consumer education is vital as without this the ignorance of the consumer will be exploited and their rights trampled. The Ministry alone cannot bring down the prices. The cooperation of the consumer is essential. Hence, it is essential that all consumers should get together and form "Consumer Organizations" as it is being done in other countries. At the commencement there will be teething problems and pressures would be brought by the traders. However, if all cooperate and stand together, all these problems could be overcome and the Consumer Affairs Act could be made effective. In foreign countries, these organizations stand together and even boycott certain traders if they insist on charging high prices and fleecing the consumers. The consumers stand together as one body so much as to say that "united we stand, divided we fall". In Sri Lanka. The majority of the people want everything at low prices or free but they do not want to get involved in any organization to achieve this. They want everything served on a silver platter. It is a common complaint heard daily that the prices of consumer goods are high and that the Government is not doing anything about it. It is a very easy thing to criticize but now action is what is needed and not idle talk. On the other hand, the Ministry officials also should perform their duties without any bias. They should not allow vested interests to supersede their duty. If all consumers organize themselves and form "Consumer Organizations" the consumers rights will be safeguarded. The Consumer Affairs Authority has wide powers and they should be
utilized to the maximum to bring the returns expected of them. I presume
that with the guidance and supervision of the Minister of Commerce and
Consumer Affairs the consumer will be benefited very soon. If this becomes
a success, the Government has scored another victory. Dr. Riley Fernando in his letter of D.N. 22.02.03 has explicitly expressed the feelings within the heart of the honest and civic-minded citizens of this country. Delving into past records, not far from memory, one will see that it had been the standard of Sri Lanka to honour and bestow privileges on the corrupt and the inefficient . Take for instance where gangsters were made Justices of the Peace, officers who strived to maintain law and order were transferred and now tax evaders are to be granted an amnesty. This certainly makes some feel it is better to be corrupt than be honest though the really honest in heart will prefer to starve to death than eat grass. As Dr. R.F suggests let us hope that our Deputy Minister of Finance, appreciate the fine senior citizens who have earned their money honestly, declared their income truthfully and paid their taxes on the due dates for their exemplary, civic-conscious conduct. The suggestion by the good doctor to close the tax files with clean records since they were opened more than merit the tax evaders who are to be allowed to go scot-free. If the Minister would consider this more than a handful, at least, let
the life's savings of such senior citizen's income on interest be exempted
from tax. These fine men who have done much for this country in the
evening of their life are now downtrodden by low interest rates and
sky-high living costs. A fable of four lines of frogs Professor J. B. Dissanayake's noble address to the Kandy Society of Medicine entitled "Physicians: gods amidst men" (DN 19 Feb.), reminds me of a certain parable. There was a strange pool of water in which lived a multitude of frogs arranged in four lines. The top line, the F frogs (F for Finance), were the ones who held the moneybags. The next line, the A frogs (A for Administration), ran the show with money from F. The third line, P frogs (P for Professionals) were the artistes, doctors, teachers, and the like who cared for the fourth line, the D frogs (D for Dependents) who depended on P for their arts, education, medical care, and the like. The P frogs were eternally hardup, or felt they were hardup, and often went on strike to ask for more. The sufferings of the D frogs were sometimes a bit threatening to the peace of the A frogs but there was no risk whatever of them (A frogs) being sacked from their jobs. The A frogs would have liked to sack the troublesome P frogs but they
were not in position to do so. So they begged from the F frogs for more
money in order to pacify the P frogs. That's how they got on. Occasionally
there were internal rifts among the P frogs saying that teacher frogs and
artist frogs could strike, but doctor frogs should not because some D
frogs might die. But money is money for F or A or P or D and so the doctor
frogs didn't stop their strikes and of course the teacher frogs didn't
stop either. Experience had shown that without a strike they would get
nothing. They all preached but also struck. Minister of Trade Ravi Karunanayake deserved the consumer's gratitude for opening the CWE Dambulla Vegetable outlet in Maligawatta. Even though the vegetables were not well displayed, the prices were reasonable when compared to the supermarkets. There was a good choice of vegetables and fruits and they were fresh. Sad to say within the last few weeks the things have gone from bad to worse. The trays and shelves were empty. For two weeks there were no papayas. Some measly rambuttans were hanging from a rope. Pineapples were priced high. The fruits available were not local ones but the imported grapes and apples. Nobody would go all the way to Maligawatta to buy the imported fruits! What had happened is with the fairly competitive prices the best and the bulk of vegetables is bought by the mudalalies and we are told even by the restaurants. Another day I walked into the wholesale section. There was a box full of papaya. I was told that it had been already sold. You cannot blame the staff in the outlet for this situation. The outlet was meant for both retailers and wholesalers. But this policy has now worked against the retailer and end user. This is not what the Minister had envisaged as is seen from the prominently displaced plaque as you enter! So what could be done is to restrict it only for retailer and those who buy less than three kilos. Now that there is Meegoda wholesale market in addition to the Pettah
market surely the wholesalers could buy their requirements from there in
fact what is needed is more retail outlets as is being run by private
retailer. Apropos letter by Daya Lalith Palihakkara of Ratnapura under the above caption. While I was viewing the interview telecast in the TV - though I did not follow it fully due to my poor understanding of Sinhala - yet I was feeling sorry for the poor posture of the three young men seated in front of the PM respected by all Sri Lankans as the leader who had brought to all of us the much sought peace As Daya rightly point out that this posture of the interviewers seems to be arising out of immaturity, lack of exposure, inadequate training or scant regard for our cultural values. I trust that the high ups - the top bureaucrats of the mass media
ensure that such poor posture is not repeated in future interviews or for
that matter in any public place by responsible mass media personnel. Fortunately I have the luck of not having to travel by public transport, but at the request of many many of my friends who have to use this mode of transport, I am bringing to "light" their sad "plight". When a commuter gives money for the ticket the conductor writes on the ticket the amount due to be given back as change and asks the commuter to collect the change when getting off. When it comes to "Getting off" one knows the scramble and rush that goes on and there is no time to be looking for this conductor who is hardly seen amongst such a crowd. So naturally this poor traveller "gets off" without producing that ticket which could very well be marked Rs. 2 Rs. 3 or over 5 may be even more to be collected. Isn't this a crime? It is known that this "wise" conductor has plenty of change money but just doesn't want to give it. Of course we know all this change money that has to be given is going into his "Pocket" not "Pick pockets". Anyway! it is an easy method of a sort of "Pick - pocketing". Very often most of the commuters are not the rich folk and isn't it sad and a pity to rob a poor man's money in this manner? Where is his conscience if he has one. Incidentally just off this point but on the same subject. I walked into a well-known Greetings Card Outlet in Castle Street and was told by the girl that she did not have a rupee to be given as change. As I rather insisted - since I wrote about this to the papers last week, she said "I will see if I can find the change - she walked into the next room and from a large box of change out came this rupee!. There was plenty of change in that box elsewhere although not in the Cash drawer - just shows What type of "Honesty" this is! If we are short of even as little as 25 cts. to buy something even a tablet or maybe a loaf of bread, will the seller give it? No, never - they will demand their amount. So why should the customer be deprived? It should cut both ways. So the shops, pharmacies, and Kades should give back the change and not put "away" for their "rainy day". Please higher authorities kindly take up this serious matter and bring to "book that dishonest crook". Stop this "racket" and see that nothing goes into that
"Pocket" |
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