The consumers’ interests as a priority

The news that a national consumer welfare policy would soon see the light of day is likely to have stimulated the interest of the majority of our readers who are reeling under the impact of recent price rises in some essential consumer goods. The state has explained its reasons for increasing the prices of some of these essentials and on the face of it, the explanation is valid. But there is also no denying that for many, living costs are rising to dizzying heights and it is gladdening to note that the welfare of the consumer is also being addressed by the state.

Price rises are the biggest worrisome factor for the average consumer and it should be of the first importance to the state to minimize these increases, to the extent possible. The fuel import bill, for instance, is a weighty responsibility for governments and there is likely to be no alternative to hiking local fuel prices in keeping with international prices, but care should be taken to ensure that the local consumer is not unduly burdened by even such price increases.

The state has taken some measures to ensure that the poorer segments of our population are in a position to endure the recent fuel price hikes, but it should be government policy to ensure that consumers are not habitually called on to bear the main brunt of price hikes, whatever the justification by the state to pass these increases on to the consumer. Alleviatory measures are welcome, but to the extent possible, the state must devise ways of absorbing these increases.

This consideration should be central to the formulation of a national consumer welfare policy. While governments need to match earnings with expenditure and use their scarce financial resources sparingly, a great deal would need to be done to ensure that needless expenses are not indulged in. The state would need to be extra careful not to engage in wasteful spending because all such expenses come off the public purse and the funds used for the public good would need to be curtailed to cope with such disbursements, which, from the people’s point of view are needless and wasteful. For instance, money needs to be spent on state functions very sparingly.

It is only increased indigenous production of our essential requirements which could help mainly in keeping down prices of essential requirements. Accordingly, state projects, such as ‘Divi neguma’, should be required to bear fruit, sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, it would be in the public interest to ensure the vibrancy of the Co-operative Movement, which, in decades past proved a huge boon to the so-called ordinary people. All essential goods need to be made available mainly through state agencies, such as, Sathosa, whose prices should be purse-easy and affordable by the people.

The recent hiking of the prices of imported milk is perfectly justified when the consideration is taken into account that the local milk farmers’ interests need to be protected even as the average consumer is shielded from bruising imported milk food prices. Likewise, it is most advisable to maintain a price control on infant milk foods. Something else which is quite gratifying is the decision to make available to the schoolchildren of Nuwara Eliya a glass of cow’s milk free.

In discussing ways of ensuring the consumers’ interests, it is of principal importance that some form of price control is maintained on most essential goods. This is proving to be a difficult task in even these times when a more centrist policy is followed by the state, but, as far as we could perceive, a policy of price control is central to serving the interests of the general public.

Hopefully, this responsibility will be given thought in the days ahead. Giving the Consumer Affairs Authority more powers is one matter that should be seriously considered. It should be in a position to maintain price controls on essentials without being hindered and should have the authority to bring wrong-doers to justice on this front.

Self-help and co-operation among the public too should be the focus of state policy in this context of preserving the consumers’ interests. Unfortunately, decades of market reforms have tended to efface the centrality of human well being in deliberations of public policy. This should not be the case. Not only must the human being come to centre stage in public affairs, self-help among the public must be progressively increased.