MOU TO STRENGTHEN RESEARCH CAPABILITIES FOR CONSUMER COUNCIL OF FIJI

The Consumer Council of Fiji and the Asia-Pacific Applied Economic Association (APAEA) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the objective of strengthening the Council’s research capacity.

This MoU would enable the council to work with a research partner, addressing the wider range of consumer issues that affect Fijians.

Chief executive officer for the Consumer Council, Seema Shandi, disclosed the council had a research in policies division that fulfilled the council’s mandate to conduct research.

“We do vigorous research in the area of consumer issues,” Ms Shandi said.

“Based on that research, we make submissions to the relevant ministries, to Government officials, to the ministers and also other relevant bodies.”

Mr Shandi reiterated that such effort pushes for positive consumer related changes that benefit the consumers.

She added that such research not only acquired valid information for the consumers, but it also helped the council’s research capabilities in presenting quality data, which could eventually lead to making informed decisions on public policies.

President for APAEA, professor Paresh Narayan, remarked that the association stood ready to be a reliable patterner for the council in terms of research.

“We work with policy makers, we work with central banks, we work with research institutions for example in Fiji we have

MoU’s with the Reserve Bank of Fiji,” Professor Narayan said. “Partnering with the Consumer Council of Fiji is very pleasing because it allows the association and particularly me, to add that portfolio of institutions with whom we work with.”

Professor Narayan said the focus of the MoU was the consumers as this would allow the council to make good judgement of what was best to the consumers when it came to policies.