Workshop to focus on protecting digital consumer's rights

Galvanising multiple stakeholders committed to the protection of today’s digital consumer, an ITC-assisted (International Trade Centre) 2-day workshop will kick off on March 15 in Colombo. The event facilitated by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is aligned with this year’s theme of World Consumer Rights Day, ‘Making Digital Market Places Fairer’. The ITC is a multilateral agency with a joint mandate with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Chandrika Thilakaratne, Director, Consumer Affairs and Information, CAA, told the Sunday Times that the upcoming forum is in response to a proposal made by the CAA to the ITC. It is also an EU-Sri Lanka Trade Related Assisted Project.

The theme of the World Consumer Rights Day which falls on March 15 is declared by Consumers International which has over 200 member organisations. The organisations work to empower and champion the rights of consumers across the world. Mrs. Thilakaratne points out that though e-commerce has made access to the world quick and convenient, it entailed many challenges. Consumers International notes that by 2021, e-commerce is expected to account for over 15% of global retail sales. Yet, consumers are still unable to access digital marketplaces they can trust. They are calling for access to secure internet, actions against scams and fraud and better protection online. Consumers International’s E-commerce Background Report observes that many countries, notably developing ones, do not have laws or regulations concerning data protection and privacy, thus leaving consumers unprotected. The UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index 2017 has identified the top 10 developing and transition economies which show ‘e-commerce readiness’ and Sri Lanka is among them classed as a nation with ‘medium readiness’. The Index indicators are: number of internet users, web presence, delivery and payment. Colombo’s forum, with financial and technical assistance from ITC, will bring together government agencies, ICT policy-makers, digital advertisers, internet service providers and university representatives. The session will be steered by Canadian e-commerce expert Michael Geist. The panelists of the two-day workshop will deliberate on six principle areas of digital consumerism covering e-commerce around the world, industry perspectives, the Sri Lankan digital consumer, legal frameworks, international trade rules and the road ahead.

A policy document which will be formulated at the end of the forum is to be presented to the cabinet to give more teeth to present policy governing consumer rights. “We are in the process of amending the CAA Act for which the outcome of the forum will be decisive,” notes Mrs. Thilakaratne. The proposed legislature will take into account progressive global legislation and guidelines. The proposed legislature which will give more muscle to the mandate of the CAA includes provision to recall unsafe/defective products, to deal with e-commerce security and marketing of digital content, misleading advertisements, to recognise accredited labs/certification bodies and conformity assessment bodies and to adopt international standards. Consumer literacy still remains low in Sri Lanka, thus mobilising is imperative. Parallel to the national event, the CAA, through its regional offices, has organised a series of awareness programmes at district level. These will target school children, housewives and civil society organisations. Mrs. Thilakaratne acknowledges that the CAA needs to pledge greater support towards consumer societies striving to create awareness among masses.

Mooting for a Consumer Ombudsman for the country, Attorney-at-Law and former Chairman CAA, Sarath Wijesinghe notes that, with the legal process being complicated and expensive, this scheme is an urgent need for consumers to seek redress. He calls for alternative resolution procedures such as arbitration, mediation boards, establishment of UK-model Citizens Advice Bureau, and engaging Chambers of Commerce and trade and consumer organisations. “Consumer Courts on the Indian-model should also be in place,” says Mr. Wijesinghe. The Consumer Protection Act (COPR) in India, he says, provides considerable power and protection to consumers via public interest litigation.