Ref. : er/press/’06/unido.mds/dg
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna,
has invited Prof. Manubhai Shah, Chairman Emeritus, Consumer Education
and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad, as a Regional Expert in Consumer
Affairs, Standards Setting and Market Surveillance, and Dr. Julian
Edwards, former Director General of the Consumers International (CI),
London, as an International Expert under a Special Service Agreement
for the Bangladesh Quality Support Programme.
The CI is coordinating the project in conjunction with UNIDO. The
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International
Organization for Standardisation (ISO) have been named partner organisations
for the project.
Prof. Shah has been named the Regional Expert in the context of his
experience of the developments in India that will be more relevant
to Bangladesh than in terms of US or European consumer organisations.
The more so because India once included what are now Pakistan and
Bangladesh and, therefore, the ethos, language, and culture of the
region is the same.
As a Regional Expert, Prof. Shah visited Bangladesh from 9 to 19
June 2006. He visited, among others, the Consumers Association of
Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Dhaka
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Bangladesh Standards and
Testing Institute.
During his discussions with business and industry, Prof. Shah suggested
voluntary self-regulation on the model of Better Business Bureau (BBB)
of the USA which has been operating for many years. The participants
in the discussions appreciated the idea and wanted Prof. Shah to provide
them with the information on the objects and working of the BBB which
has 70 offices in the USA and 17 in Canada.
On his return home, Prof. Shah has been working on the information
which will run into a number of pages in terms of objects, history,
functions and other details of BBB.
Similarly, the stakeholders in Bangladesh wanted to have copies of
the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 of India. While complying with their
requests, Prof. Shah will send copies of the Act also to Mr. David
Holbourbe, Chief Technical Officer, UNIDO, and his appointee and Officer
In-charge of the project at Dhaka, Mr. Mustaffa Anwar.
Prof. Shah will also send them information on national and international
donor agencies with their names and addresses and the donations they
have given to CERC ; and the names and addresses of pubic charitable
trusts of Ahmedabad and Bombay, whose annual income, as per a CERC
survey, was more than Rs. 1,00,000/-.
The Consumer Association of Bangladesh will send its officials for
training at CERC for a few months and CERC will offer its services
for comparative testing of Bangladesh consumer products testing at
CERC’s in-house laboratories for publication and publicity in
Bangladesh.
Prof. Shah and Dr. Julian Edwards will jointly submit their report
to UNIDO. Their major tasks will include to
- review the background information received from the CI;
- determine the human and financial resources required to develop
effective consumer representation in standards making in Bangladesh
and advise on training and development required to achieve these;
- review the facilities and technical skills required to enable the
consumer organisation to carry out market surveillance with particular
reference to conformity with standards;
- prepare a report on the project activities and findings and make
recommendations.
The purpose of the Bangladesh Quality Support Programme is to improve
the quality management system of the country to be accepted at international
level, increase awareness on international quality standards and potential
for exports.
The quality component will focus on the improvement of the quality,
standards, metrology and accreditation system in the country at international
level.
The Experts will recommend the strengthening of the Bangladesh Standards
and Testing Institute as a standards setting body. This will enable
Bangladesh to address challenges and requirements brought by the WTO
agreements in this field as well as to increase the competitiveness
of its export industry.
Date : 26/06/2006
Pritee Shah
Place: Ahmedabad
Editor
Insight-The Consumer Magazine
Opinions, test results and research findings issued through this
Press Release cannot be used in any form directly or indirectly for
advertising, promotional or commercial purpose.
Consumer
Education & Research Centre (CERC) - Copyrights Reserved 2003.