The courts in district level are aimed at dealing with cases related to violation of consumer rights and provide speedy justice. In a bid to send the policy to the Cabinet for approval, the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies is giving the final shape to the draft seeking feed backs from the concerned government agencies and other stakeholders.
Consumer right activists and the Department of Commerce and Supply Management too for long have been demanding the government to made changes in laws for establishing the court. Earlier, through the amendment to the Consumer Rights Protection Act 1197, the government planned of setting up consumer courts—one each in all the 14 zones.
“We can set up courts as planned in the draft in the all districts in phase-wise manger,” said Narayan Prasad Bidari, director genera of the department. He said that the formation of courts would help provide fast and effective decision regarding consumers issues to ensure their rights.
Since there is no such court, normally taking action against wrongdoers is delayed as filing cases and their settlement takes a long time in other courts, according to the department. The draft policy has also planned of setting up a separate Department of Consumer Rights and Supply Management to focus in only in consumers right and supply issues. Currently, the consumer rights issues are being dealt by the Department of Commerce and Supply Management.
Bidari said that as per the draft there would be Department of Commerce to deal with trade and commerce related affairs. The draft policy was sent to the Commerce Ministry by the department about five months ago for the endorsement after finalising it from its part. An official at the Commerce Ministry said that they would soon hold a final discussion regarding the draft policy with Commerce Minister and send to the Cabinet for approval.
A preliminary draft was prepared by the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal and submitted to the government for necessary changes and endorsement two years ago. In the draft, there are also provisions of maintaining a Consumer Rights Fund for consumer awareness programmes and setting up of a separate office for market monitoring and protection of consumer rights in each of the 75 districts.
Consumer rights forums said although there are market monitoring committees in all districts under the Chief District Officers (CDO), the CDOs are least bothered to carry out market monitoring and bringing wrongdoers to book as they are busy with others regular affairs. The offices to be set up in district offices will also get a fulltime inspection officer and market protection officer for market monitoring and taking action against traders cheating consumers. According to department, once the policy get approval of the Cabinet, they would also start making needful amendment to the Consumer Rights Protection Act 1997 and its regulation.
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