| Business |
Resist ruthless retailers
THE issues raised by The
National’s columnist Kevin Pamba in The Notebook series
last week is worthy of further examination.
Mr Pamba has voiced his concern at the flood of unemployed youths
who are retained by certain foreign businessmen to street-sell a
whole range of small items.
The columnist also raised the issue of foreigners now selling buai
outside their shops, and the probability of a foreign incursion
into the running of PMVs, and of cornering bulk buai sales
intended for highlands markets.
No doubt the authorities will respond with the usual oil on
troubled water assurances that organisations designed to protect
consumers exist, and people should make use of them.
That is effrontery and an insult to the people.
We challenge these alleged consumer watchdogs to take half an hour
and walk through any market in the country, and ask sellers
whether they have ever heard of their organisations.
We are prepared to wager a considerable sum that our market
sellers and informal sector workers know nothing of them or the
work they allegedly undertake.
It has been evident for years that these independent consumer
councils, if they operate at all, do so at a government level.
From time to time, we hear of some supposed progress that has been
achieved through the International Labour Organisation in Geneva,
or an amendment to international tariffs beneficial to PNG.
That progress is commendable.
But it has no direct effect on our roadside or market sellers.
We challenge the authorities to name the existing body that exists
to field complaints about poor quality goods, overcharging,
illegal laws of search and detention exercised by shop owners,
filthy food outlets, sweat shop hours of labour at some
foreign-owned retail outlets, ridiculous underpayment of wages –
the list is virtually endless, and the treatment of our own people
is intolerable.
If there is a political party intending to contest the coming
elections, one that is looking for some convincing planks for
their electoral policy platform, they could do a great deal worse
than to address this issue.
If the present laws forbid the return of goods that do not work,
then Parliament should rapidly change those laws.
But if, as we suspect, there are laws long-buried in our statute
books that do protect consumers, laws that specifically allow the
return of
non-working or poor quality goods, then it is time they are
enforced.
More importantly, it is incumbent upon the government of the day
to inform the people that such protection does exist, and is there
to be used by ordinary people.
The whole area of PNG consumer protection is at best a grey area,
and at worst non-existent.
Rarely does a retailer in this country take the trouble to
encourage a purchaser to fill out a manufacturer’s warranty, one
that will cover costs of repairs during a specified period.
And what of other services, such as the provision of repairs for
purchased goods?
To the best of our knowledge, only two or three major PNG
electronics retailers provide
adequate service for the products they sell.
In overseas countries, there are many strictly enforced laws that
provide safeguards for consumers, particularly those purchasing
expensive electrical equipment.
All too often, these safeguards are absent in PNG.
Who is responsible for protecting these consumers, and who has the
duty to inform them of their rights?
PNG has a number of chambers of commerce.
Some of these organisations are little more than businessmen’s
clubs dedicated to devising every possible means of making
mega-profits.
The idea of customer service, training of staff to deal with
customers, and the provision of honest retailing clearly does not
appear frequently on their meeting agendas.
This is not China or Australia or Malaysia.
This is PNG, and our people are fed-up with the ruthless business
practices that are now the norm in their own market-place.
Today, the art of rip-off has been refined and polished.
And given the blind pursuit of the kina displayed by too many
foreign enterprises, and the complete lack of any attempt to
control this situation, we despair for the future of the small PNG
entrepreneur.
 
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