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Asia & The Middle East

World Consumer Rights Day 2011 in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East

World Consumer Rights Day (CI) is being celebrated by CI members across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East in a wide variety of interesting ways. Here is a selection of highlights:

Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), India has collated and analysed all the consumer complaints it received in relation to financial services in 2010 and released the results on WCRD. Credit cards were found to be a particular area of consumers' concerns. The organisation also launched a new Facebook page for INSIGHT, it's flagship consumer magazine.

Choice, Australia marked the day by urging consumers to vote with their feet and punish bad banking behaviour by moving their money by switching their accounts to a different service provider. This is part of the organisation's 'Better Banking' campaign.

The Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS), India, observed WCRD with a half-day seminar to discuss financial inclusion and financial consumer protection in India, as well as the wider international Consumer for Fair Financial Services campaign. The General Manager of the Reserve Bank of India was among the keynote speakers at the event, which was attended by representatives from various government departments, the consumer movement, civil society, industry and the media.

FOMCA, Malaysia held a press conference to advocate for increased support to national financial education and literacy programmes, particularly targeting young adults. FOMCA also called for improvements in consumer protection in financial services through effective policy-making, regulation and enforcement. A roundtable meeting on "Enhancing good financial habits in Malaysian Consumers" was also held.

The Consumer Council of Fiji launched a comprehensive study on the country's banking sector and appeared in the media to criticise the country's banks for being uncompetitive and charging excessive fees.

Consumers Lebanon called on the Central Bank to institute reforms that would eradicate "gaps in the banking sector that strain consumers. The group also said that insurance policies and mechanisms for complaints should be improved. The group recommended that the Central Bank and the Economy Ministry establish committees and complaint centres to tackle banking deficiencies.

Macao Consumer Council celebrated the day with a photo exhibition, followed by a slogan competition.

VOICE, India had been running a series of 14 WCRD-themed workshops since the beginning of the year which have already reached thousands of individual consumers.

Consumers Korea is joined other national consumer organisations under the umbrella of the Korea National Council of Consumer Organisations to hold a seminar on the WCRD theme. Presenters included financial experts, academics and government representatives. This builds on a fruitful roundtable discussion organised by Consumers Korea in February, which brought together experts in the field to explore solutions to failings in consumer protection financial services.

The Hong Kong Consumer Council conducted an online survey to collect consumers' views on the service provided by their bank. The editorial of the Council's monthly magazine CHOICE also mentioned the Consumers for Fair Financial Services campaign and the consumer movement's recommendations to G20 on consumer protection in financial services.

Citizen, Civic, Consumer Action Group (CAG), India produced a series of 'vox pops' to document the experiences of financial consumers, and also launched a new guide to raise consumer awareness of redress mechanisms in the financial sector.

The Oman Association for Consumer Protection organised a conference on consumer protection in financial services which brought together financial experts with representatives from the Central Bank of Oman, Capital Market Authority, Security Portfolio Companies, government regulators and civil society organisations.

The Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) jointly organised a seminar with the Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection. CAB also produced posters and pamphlets to promote the day and appeared on a number of private and public TV outlets to talk about the issues.

The Consumer Association of Kerala, India, held a one-day workshop at Trissur District, inaugurated by Honourable MLA Sri.AC Moideen.

Consumers' Forum, India organised a seminar on fair financial services for consumers together with local law students. The event included a debating competition with prizes going to the winners, whose presentations will also be posted on the Forum's website. A new Consumer Club was also launched to mark the day.