Price hike: Need for consumers' resistance
There is a limit to traders' proft.
The government, believably, has been trying its best to combat price hike. It is aware of the rising frustration of consumers due to high price of essentials. It seems clear from the recent grave concern of the government on erratic market behaviour that its electoral pledge to keep price index within the reach of the commoners has not faded into oblivion. The prime minister in the cabinet meeting held on 17 August, directed the commerce minister to take appropriate measures for increasing efficiency of the TCB and to import eggs, chickens and potatoes to meet the increased demand of consumers, especially during the month of Ramadan. Of course prices of some essential food items remain stable. The endeavour of the government still going on perhaps bespeaks of its sincerity and commitment. All the concerned policy actors are instrumental in finding way forward to mitigate consumers' sufferings and to help them out of the situation. Instructions have been given to all kitchen market traders to display price list of the available commodities. Four new committees have been formed to streamline governments market vigilance activities in Dhaka. They will watch whether anyone is doing brisk business selling commodities at higher price, selling adulterated products or manipulating weights. The government has decided to form task force in each district and upazila. Besides, the commerce minister had several meetings with FBCCI. The business leaders promised their co-operation with a strict marker vigilance and inspection. But the market situation is going out of hand as the prices of the essentials are spiraling upward. We wonder whether the measure taken so far by the state to control the unbridled horse-like galloping market price, both wholesale and retail, will help the consumers out of the situation. The government warned stern actions to stop unbridled extortions that are blamed for the fast deterioration of price situation. Food and disaster management minister also of late stated that extortion in the transport sector was responsible for price hike. The finance minister pointed to the need for consumer's resistance. I share the same sentiment, fully agreeing with the view that "it is necessary to rouse people's rage and hostility against the so-called syndicates of a few businessmen, which are blamed to have worsened the price situation." But I cannot support "passing the blame on to the media for runaway price hike." I believe the media is playing an active role in sensitising community participation and awareness building about criminalisation of trade and serving as channel of communication between the administration and the public. The need for consumers resistance is admittedly great. All consumers scattered in different city points should be organised into a single entity to fight against the dishonest traders. We do not like to see cat and mouse game between the actors in the policy community. Only community organisations at the city points can mobilise the docile consumers as a countervailing force to make an organised move against the excessive profit making traders. They are supposed to be aided by voluntary policing if they are operationally committed. Once tough resistance of the social forces is on, the state will come forward as a facilitator of consumer movement even going to the extent of cracking down on the whimsical traders who are increasing price almost every day especially during the holy month of fasting. Well-organised social forces must be there to prevent distortion and malfunctioning of market. They are required to see that the proceeds of business are according to rules, not the other way round. I wonder whether consumers' associations have action plans to prevent any unethical trade practices like restrictive supply of essential commodities, collusive price-fixing and swindling buyers about set prices and weight. The traders pursuing unholy practices are more organised than the powerless consumers who are yet to develop as social force aware of their rights like what we see in other countries. There was a policy advocacy for protection of consumers' rights. The result was formulation and passing of consumer right protection law, 2009. The recent law is, however, inadequate rather creating some institutional constraints. Despite this law the ordinary consumers have much less access to the authorities concerned with their complaints. Bureaucratic tangles are stumbling blocks and truly so. We are so poorly organised and indifferent that we bother little about exercising control over nearby retail kitchen market and groceries. Realising this consumers' association must be formed in each city point. Consumers' association at this point may well be empowered so that they can play active role in community sensitisation. They must have the power of price monitoring and market inspection within the territorial jurisdiction. I suggest the formation of co-operative market societies in each neighbourhood for the supply of necessities at a fair price. If consumers feel they are powerful with their own association they can resist any moves that militate against their rights. Provided with institutional support any individual as a consumer can take action against a seller or shopkeeper if he finds fault with pricing and qualities of the commodities to be purchased. Ramadan comes every year as real test of economic performance. The question remains why government has to worry about the challenges of abnormal market forces during this holy month. The consumers should not rest content with any assurance from the policy community. The traders mostly at retail market use the holy month to sell essential commodities at an exorbitant rate. The consumers continue to be betrayed and cannot repose confidence in all-talk paper-tigers. Taking lessons from the poignant experience the consumers should fight for their rights of course avoiding any confrontation with the traders that they come into interaction in every day life.
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