As full implementation of the Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta) looms, pressure groups and policy-makers are hoping to formalise ways of protecting consumers while bracing for the opening of borders to an influx of goods and services.

One such initiative was the Southeast Asian Conference on Consumer Protection, organised by the Malaysian chapter of Consumers International in Kuala Lumpur, which concluded today with the drafting of the 'Asean Plan of Action on Consumer Protection'.

The plan will be submitted to the Asean Secretariat during the upcoming Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur next month.

The action plan calls for Asean members to create a Asean Consumer Protection Agency, formally affiliated to the Asean Secretariat, to streamline consumer protection laws and create a system to obtain redress in the consumer's home country when there is injury, damages or loss incurred as a result of products and services from Asean member countries.

It also calls for the forming of an Asean Consumer Council, to serve as a regional consumer protection groups and an Asean Standing Committee on Consumer Protection to facilitate cross-border enforcement activities and as a mechanism for cross-border settlement of consumer disputes.

Dr Ramon V Navaratnam, advisor to the Sunway Group, who chaired the conference yesterday morning, said that at present, there was no regional government consultative machinery on consumer affairs.

He explained to reporters that while Afta may have looked after the supply side of the trade equation, action should also be taken to protect consumers without which Afta would not be beneficial to Asean consumers.

Pro-tem committee on

With an estimated 500 million consumers in the Asean region, the dropping of trade barriers would mean exposing consumers to a possible flood of inferior goods, said Navaratnam.

"People who are directly concerned with the implementation of a free trade agreement should be Asean consumers from the lower income group," he said, adding that a regional consumer protection organisation would also give feedback to governments and large business entities.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) deputy secretary-general T Indrani told malaysiakini the purpose of the conference was to assess the level of consumer protection in Asean in light of an increasingly open market economy.

She said at present there was no programmes for consumers being conducted by the Asean Secreatariat, whereas an Asean Business Council had already been established.

"At present, we can only engage the local ministers on consumer issues," she said, adding that consumer groups would be able to exchange information and engage Asean as a regional body with the formation of the Asean Consumer Council.

She said that a pro-tem committee comprising of ten representatives from all Asean countries has already been established for the council.

In his opening address yesterday, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said that the government would be fully supportive of any appropriate initiative that worked towards improving the welfare of the people of Asean.