‘World Consumer Rights Day’ is being celebrated across the world on Wednesday amidst various programmes to raise awareness about consumer rights.

Nepal is also observing the day amidst various programmes though many Nepalese consumers are not informed about their rights guaranteed in various national and international laws.

In his message on the occasion of the Consumers’ Rights Day, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Buddhi Man Tamang has said that His Majesty’s Government has guaranteed the rights of all consumers through the existing Consumer Rights Protection Act and Regulations and that efforts were also being made to provide goods and services to the consumers in an accessible manner even during the difficult situation in the country.

“Although all the consumers should get essential goods as well as other consumer goods, including services, at a fair price and in an easy and accessible manner through an open and competitive market system, it has been felt that the public do not have adequate awareness on topics like the price, quality, weight of goods and services used by them and their consumer rights,” Minister Tamang stated.

Likewise, Assistant Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Rajesh Kaji Shrestha in his message said that since each person is a consumer, the ultimate objective of producing every goods and service is to meet the needs of the consumers. He added since all industries and businesses are related to consumers, the state has guaranteed the consumer rights to protect the rights and interests of the consumers by clearly delineating the legal responsibility of the industries, businesses and service providers.

The World Consumer Rights Day commemorates the day on which the then US President John F Kennedy for the first time, on March 15, 1962, announced in the US Congress the consumers’ rights through the ‘Bill for the Rights of the Consumers’.