KATHMANDU, March 15: Shanker Das Bairagi, Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, assured that the government was committed towards protecting the welfare of the consumers.

At a programme organized here today by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) on the occasion of the World Consumer Rights Day, Chief Secretary Bairagi pledged legal and policy-level mechanism and structures for reform in services and goods for the benefit of the consumers for which, he assured, that the government was committed to coordinate and collaborate among the three tiers of the government.

Pressing for the need to sensitize rural people about consumable goods and services, Bairagi said, "We all are consumers. We must be self-motivated and bring good practices of fulfilling our respective responsibilities so as to be able to consume healthy and clean goods and services."

Similarly, Homnath Bhattarai, Director at the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection under the Ministry, made a presentation about the performances of his Department and shared that the market monitoring work was being undertaken at the federal level.

Likewise, Madhu Kumar Marasini, Secretary at the MoICS, argued that we all were the biggest watchdog of our own rights. "Change is possible if we move forward continuously in a quality way," viewed Marasini, sharing that his Ministry and its subordinate bodies were committed towards protecting the rights of the consumers.

Also speaking in the programme, Sunita Dangol, deputy mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), spoke of the need to launch an awareness drive to maintain a clean environment apart from advancing the cause of consumer rights and welfare. 

According to her, the KMC clarified that it had paid special attention to hygiene of food and thus has mobilized the technical team for quality control.

Preparation was afoot to examine use of pesticides in vegetables and fruits, she informed, adding that the KMC had launched enterprises registration as a campaign and the House Rental Management Directives was passed by the KMC board. 

She said that the KMC had prioritized market monitoring of the consumable goods and services. 

Consumer rights activists emphasized that the monitoring committee be more active and orders and constitutional provisions relating to consumer welfare be effectively implemented. 

The Federation of Nepali Consumer Protection (FNCP) has stressed protection of consumers' rights by reducing the unnaturally high prices of goods and services and to provide goods to the impoverished households at subsidized prices.

On the occasion, Chief Secretary Bairagi unveiled a digital book on consumer rights welfare. A song raising awareness about consumer rights was also launched in the event.

The slogan for this year's World Consumer Rights Day is –'Consumer empowerment through clean energy.' The day is dedicated to raising awareness about promoting consumer rights.

(RSS)

 
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