March 15, 2001

Islamabad: Celebrating the World Consumer Rights Day, Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) organized a panel discussion on "Corporate Citizenship in the Global Market: Accountability and the Consumer Perspective". at TVO office, Islamabad, today. The topic was significant in the wake of growing business of Multi National Corporations (MNCs) world over. It was highlighted in the discussion that increasing and unchecked corporate power of MNCs posing serious threats and challenges to the consumers and citizens. It was observed that States are gradually losing space to the MNCs in view of rapid globalization and do not provide adequate regulatory arrangements.

The total sales of Sony Corporation is bigger than the total GDP of Pakistan. Out of 100 largest economies of the world 51 are corporations and 49 are States. Bill Gates of Microsoft, with his 60 billion Dollars net worth, is roughly equivalent to the total incomes of 200 million poor people, or the combined Gross Domestic Product of Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Panama, Bolivia. The, speakers included Barrister Ejaz Ishaq, Mr. Fayyaz Baqir, Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali. Speakers talked about the increasing corporate might, decreasing role of the state in regulating market. They had the consensus that there was a great need of organized consumer movement in the country to counter the mal practices of the market by identifying concerns and to work for bringing about required reforms both in the governing structures and corporate behaviors. Various consumer groups, which CRCP had helped setting up, also conducted activities on the World Consumer Rights Day in different cities.

The discussants regretted the fact that government had failed to enact consumer protection legislation, despite repeated reminders. It was recalled that CRCP had prepared and submitted a model consumer protection law to government last year but no development has taken place since then to put that on the statute book. Concerns were also expressed on the state of public utilities in Pakistan. The need of truly independent regulatory bodies was stressed.

Most importantly, CRCP submitted Model Freedom of Information Act 2001 to the Government of Pakistan for enactment today. CRCP pointed out that freedom of information is a cross-cutting reform with significant implications both for consumer protection and governance. Freedom of information empowers citizens and enables them to play an active and vigilant role vis-à-vis the state as well as the corporate power to bring about citizen-centric policies and affect socially responsible business practices.

For the first time ever, on the persuasion of CRCP, the Pakistan Television also organized programs in connection with the World Consumer Rights Day. First of its program was telecast on the gas and petroleum services in Pakistan and the second was on the theme of the Day i.e. Corporate Citizenship in a Global Market: Accountability and the Consumer Perspective.