KATHMANDU: The Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Committee of the Legislature-Parliament has identified that the market monitoring activities conducted by the Department of Commerce and Supply Management (DoCSM) are less effective and being conducted without fulfilling the requirements of market monitoring team as provisioned by the law.

Submitting its report to the parliament on Saturday, the house panel said that a joint market monitoring team is a must for market monitoring as provisioned by law.

As per the Consumer Rights Protection Regulations, 1999, DoCSM needs to include representatives of the concerned regulatory body or government agency in the team when conducting market monitoring.

In addition, the report has said that the monitoring team should be authorised to take action on the spot if any business is found involved in ill-practices like black marketing, compromising on quality and charging arbitrarily, among others.

The Consumer Rights Protection Regulations, 1999, has a special provision of joint market monitoring. The regulation has clearly stated that the monitoring team should comprise representatives of Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology; or the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control; or District Administration Office; or Department of Drug Administration; or Department of Agriculture; or Department of Livestock Services; or Department of Transportation; or Department of Industry; or Department of Cottage and Small Industries; or Department of Education — depending on the sector being monitored in coordination of DoCSM. Nepal Police and representatives of non-governmental organisations working for protection of consumer rights also have to be present.

However, DoCSM has not included representatives in market monitoring as mentioned by law, as per the report.

Bhisma Raj Aangdambe, chairperson of the committee, said that DoCSM market monitoring has been limited to only a few small retail shops and action has not been initiated properly that has given rise to suspicions in the activities of the DoCSM.

Representatives from the District Administration Office, security personnel, DoCSM officials and representatives of the concerned field need to be present mandatorily during market monitoring, as per the law.

The report has also said that the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, parent ministry of DoCSM, has not cross-checked the activities of DoCSM. The parliamentary panel has envisaged a separate powerful mechanism for market monitoring activities by amending the existing law.