This program is designed for National Consumer Forum of Nepal(piloting only) by Mr.Parmeshwor Vetwal on september 18 2008
Background:
National Consumer Forum.
The National Consumers Forum; a nonprofit public charity organized in the Nepal is an aggressive and relentless advocate for consumers nationwide, regardless of the product and in most cases where or when it was purchased. Our primary goal is to inform and assist individuals including single moms, seniors and the disabled, who need financial or legal advice, assistance with debt relief, consumer fraud, worthless guarantees, unsecured debts, medical bills, payday loan advances, overdrawn or closed bank accounts, obtaining debit & credit cards, even help with purchasing a home regardless of a credit report or dispute.
Consumer Awareness
Consumer awareness is part and parcel of consumer movement which is related with consumer protection and consumerism. Consumer movement emerged on account of the deceptive marketing techniques adopted by the marketers, shortage of consumer goods, adaptation of good and black marketing prices, misleading, advertisement, changing dimension in the society namely increase in Income and education and active campaign by the consumer organization and role of the government in protecting the consumer’s interest through consumer protection Act.
Marketing of goods an services has many diversified social issues comprising of consumerism governed by consumer movement; Marketing ethics relating to fair prices, quality product, promotional activity and distribution channels; social responsibility relating to the consumer protection under the enactment of law.
Consumer Right.
Consumer Protection Act (CPA) encompasses public, private and co-operative sectors and confers to the consumer.
• Right to SAFETY against hazardous goods and services.
• Right to be INFORMED about quality, quantity, purity, standard, price.
• Right to CHOOSE from a variety at competitive prices
• Right to be HEARD.
• Right to seek REDRESSAL.
• Right to CONSUMER EDUCATION, to the consumers.
Why Necessary:
• Rural people are largely unaware of consumer rights.
• People learned about standardization marks like ISO,NST from the shows. Both
buyers and sellers are more conscious about brand names and they hardly check
the marks.
• People are unaware of CPA and the campaign made them aware of Consumer
Rights, procedures to file a complaint, cost and redressal time period
involved.
• There is widespread grievance against use of inaccurate weights and measures.
• In rural areas and suburbs, buyers mostly do not take cash memos.
• Students expressed a lot of interest to participate in consumer clubs, which
were found to run very actively.
Objectives;
• In short,consumer awareness is basically for consumer’s right and at times
their obligations as well.Legally also, this aspect of consumer awareness has
been dealt in appropriately in sale of goods Act,besides setting up of
consumer courts at various levels
• To aware consumers well or take due precautions,most of the
inconvenience,hassles losses and litigations can be avoided or eliminated.If
the consumer take the things for granted,the seller may take advantage of the
situation and unpleasentness occurs.even if you have been cheated or devoid
of your rights inspite of your reasonable precaution,one should be aware of
the course of action avilable for remedy.
• To bring value for your money in the first place and ultimately improved
quality of life eliminating poor quality products and poor service/after
sales service from manuctfactures and sellers.
• Promote the environmental, economic, and health benefits of buying energy
efficient products.
Activities Undertaken.
Chapter 1- Introduction
(i) Concept of modern marketing.
(ii) Consumerism and consumer movement
(iii) Consumer Awareness : Education, environment, advertisement, newspapers, TV Channels, friends, relatives and the Public awareness organizations, consumer protection through legislative measures and the role of the government and social responsibility of business towards consumers, rights and duties of consumers.
Chapter 2- Research Methodology
(i) The Research Problem
(ii) Objective of the study
(iii) Hypothesis Formulation
(iv) Sample Design
(v) Collection of Data
(vi) Tabulation and Editing of Data
(vii) Analysis and interpretation of Data
(viii) Definition of Concepts
(ix) Testing of Hypothesis
(x) Preparation of Research Report
(xi) Limitation of the study
Chapter 3- Salient Features of the Consumer Protection Act,
(i) Scope of consumer protection Act
(ii) Important Provisions of the Act
(iii) Rights of consumers way the act
(iv) Administrative and organizational structure of the Machinery under the Act.
(v) Redressal of consumer grievances and disputes.
(vi) Working of the different tier system :
a. National commission
b. Zone commission
c. District Forums
Chapter 4- Consumer Awareness:
(i) Problems of Consumers in Nepal.
(ii) Consumer awareness through:
a) Education
b) Publicity through advertisements and sales promotion.
c) TV Channels
d) Government Measures
e) Friends and relatives
f) Consumer Movement – NGOS, Consumer’s day.
g) Voluntary Organizations
Chapter 5- Consumer Protection in Industrial zone.
(i) Opinion survey among consumers through questionnaires and personal contacts.
(ii) General analysis of responses
(iii) Awareness about exploitation by private traders.
(iv) Knowledge of consumer welfare schemes.
(v) Consumers rights
(vi) Consumer protection Act,
(vii) Procedures of Complaints under the Act
(viii) Different Methods of exploitation of consumers by private traders.
(ix) Consumer awareness relating to their duties and rights.
(x) Achievements and Failures of the Machinery under the Act.
Chapter 6- Summary of Findings and conclusions
(i) Summary of findings
(ii) Problems of consumer awareness
(iii) Accommodations for improvement.
An exploratory research will be conducted for which some of the important organizations of consumers will be undertaken, the various provisions of consumer protection act will be analyzed with reference to protect the consumer’s interest and awareness. Functioning of different tier system under the consumer protection Act (dated) with reference to the sights and remedies available to consumers.
The hypothesis is based on the steps taken by the government are not satisfactory and the level of consumer awareness is very low.
A sample of 100consumers will be taken and the questionnaire will be used for the collection of data. In this way primary source of Data will be used. Secondary sources of data from various sources of publication in government, semi- government and private organizations relating to consumer awareness and protection.
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