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A basic principle in marketing is that the Consumer is always right.  The consumer rights in Sri Lanka are protected by the Consumer Affairs Authority and Authority consider that protection of consumer rights is a means of developing responsible civic society. 

 

We uphold internationally accepted basic consumer rights:

 

  1. The right to satisfaction of basic needs – To have access to buy essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.

 

  1. The right to safety – To be protected against products, products processes and services which are hazardous to health or life.

 

 

  1. The right to be informed – To be given the facts needed to make informed choice, and to be protected against dishonest of mislead advertising and labeling.

 

  1. The right to choose – To be able to select from a range of products and services, offered at competitive prices with an assurance of satisfactory quality.

 

  1. The right to be heard – To have consumer interests represented in the making and execution of government policy, and in the development of products and services.

 

  1. The right to redress – To receive a fair settlement of just claims including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services.

 

  1. The right to consumer education – To acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed, confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them.

 

  1. The right to a healthy environment – To live and work in an environment which is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future generations.
 
    Investigation Of Anti-Competitive Conducts


The act describes an anticompetitive practice in following terms:
 
When a person / a group of people - in the course of business-
pursues a conduct which has or is intended to have the effect of restricting, distorting or preventing the competition in connection with the productions, supply or acquisition of goods or the supply or securing of services.

The authority undertakes market investigations on anti-competitive based on:

1.      own market observations (own motion) and,
2.      complaints made by other parties regarding anti-competitive
         conducts

Necessary actions are taken to prevent or control anti-competitive conducts either by submitting the findings to the Consumer Affairs Council or deciding on other course of actions subject to the approval of the Board of the Authority, depending on the outcome of such investigations.

Any complaint to this effect may be sent to:

Director General,
Consumer Affairs Authority,
PO Box. 1581
Colombo
 
    Market Research And Information


Status of competition in an economy cannot be assessed without regular market research. Consumer Affairs Authority is entrusted to undertake studies and publish reports to provide information relating to market conditions of various goods and services.  Authority carries out studies on general consumer issues as well as specific competition related problems associated with different trades.  Generally, these market research studies will be concentrated on:


           ·        Major sectors/industries with prominent competition

             issues 
           ·        Market structures associated with such industries
              /sectors and  
           ·        Existing and potential impacts of these structures
             over anti-competitive conducts in respective trades.

       Based on the findings of theses studies, actions are initiated to promote competition in respective markets. Anti-competitive investigations need the support of various parameters of market situation such as market   shares, elasticities, market power indicators etc.  Therefore, actions are  also undertaken to develop a database on market conditions and parameters, which are necessary to monitor and evaluate competition situation in major markets on a regular basis
 
    Sectoral And National Competition Policies


Markets behave in different manner and different trades have different market structures.  Being a developing country, Sri Lanka has a prominent agriculture sector. Agriculture sector (including fisheries and livestock sub-sectors) has a market structure, which is largely dependent on small producers.  In such markets, competition promotion strategies developed for mainly industrial markets have little applicability. In addition, there have been frictions between competition authorities and other important policy making bodies mandated to investment promotion, privatization, and export promotion etc. Therefore, the Authority envisages initiating a path leading:


·        To make a collaborative effort to develop effective sectoral competition policies, strategies and mechanisms in cooperation with respective line agencies for joint implementation and monitoring.  

·      To draft a National Competition Policy Framework to accommodate priorities of different stakeholders in complement with the proposed improvements to existing legal structures. 

The Authority plans to achieve this objective by initiating a dialog with major stakeholders and Compiling inputs from different stakeholders.
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Last Modified Date 03/09/2010