Council for Fair Business Practices (CFBP) acts as the nodal agency at the state and national level for promoting fair business practices. With the aim to foster ethics in business or trade activity, CFBP encourages honest advertising, and selling practices to the business community. While acting as a mediator, CFBP also offers an amicable solution to the problems faced by the consumers and manufacturers.

CFBP provides an ideal platform for honest and dedicated businessmen: By enrolling as members of the Council, the business organisations can enhance their social prestige and public image, which would help them to achieve progressive growth and development. CFBP has also instituted the Jamnalal Bajaj awards in 1988; the awards are given to the business organisations, which practices fair business ethics that imparts optimum satisfaction to the consumers.

CFBP also works in cooperation with several organisations like Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC), Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), etc. President K N Suntook heads the Executive Committee, which also has Hon Secretaries Mr Mohan Gurnani and Mr Bhanu Vakil and Hon Treasurer Mr Dinesh Parekh. All the past presidents of CFBP are also the additional members of Executive Committee. Nominees of consumer bodies and prominent consumer activists are also periodically invited at the meetings of the Executive Committee.

President K N Suntook is a man on a mission: He aims to expand the activities of the Council. He wants to create an awareness among the consumers with respect to their legitimate rights and also spread the gospel of fair business practices within the business community. In an exclusive interview with Mumbaibest.com, President K N Suntook spoke about the role played by CFBP in protecting the rights of Indian consumer. Excerpts:

On the Council for Fair Business Practices (CFBP):

Founded by the business houses like the Tatas, the Bajaj, and the Mafatlal, the Council for Fair Business Practices (CFBP) is a group of distinguished and dedicated people who take care to devote their precious time by attending the meetings of the Council. CFBP has several subcommittees like the Consumer Redressal Committee (CRC), which is headed by Dr V Subramanian - an ex-minister. The Council has a diversified membership: the members generally belong to the large and medium business houses. As the average age of the members is equivalent to the age of the Council, it is important to induct young consumer activists in the panel.

On the aims and objectives of CFBP:

CFBP aims to convince the organisations that strict adherence towards fair and honest business practices would lead to progressive growth of their business models or trade activity. It aims to spread the concept of 'better business', which means conducting business in a fair and ethical manner. The Council also aims to inform the business community that the consumer has certain legitimate rights, which should be observed in letter and spirit. While considering the aim to be ranked at par with the Business Bureaus of US or the Councils in countries like Singapore, I think, CFBP has not yet achieved its potential.

On Consumer Welfare Committee of the Council:
The Consumer Welfare Committee (CWC) handles the important issues like water, education, etc., which has a direct impact on the masses. CWC had conducted a detailed study on the scenario prevailing in the computer institutes of Maharashtra. The study revealed that majority of the computer institutes were not affiliated to the Universities and thus were bereft of an official status. These computer institutes offered poor quality of education: The institutes would dole out elementary subjects like Word, Powerpoint and Excel in exchange of 20,000 - 25,000 Rupees. The computer institutes had resorted to aggressive advertising, which was conspicuous in the newspapers. Inevitably, the gullible public was taken for a ride. Now the government has promised action against the institutes as a consequence of the Council's report (on quality of computer education), which was send to Mantralaya.

CWC had also initiated action against ice-cream manufacturers in Mumbai. It had pointed out certain aspects like cleanliness and hygiene, which were duly implemented by the ice-cream manufacturers. CWC also plans to take action against the companies, which dole out adulterated mineral water to Mumbaikars.

On Consumer Education Committee of the Council:

Under the leadership of Mrs Kamalini Bhansali (vice chancellor of SNDT University), the Consumer Education Committee (CEC) imparts education on the basic rights of a consumer. The majority of consumers are unaware of their rights, hence CEC emphasises the procedures, which is essentail for the exercise of their legitimate rights. The awareness programs are conducted primarily for the less privileged sections of the society, which includes the slum areas and the schools in different localities of Mumbai. The Council has a laboratory in Juhu, which is affiliated to SNDT University. It analyses food products and other electronic items like lamps, fans, etc., at the behest of the consumer. If a particular product is found in a defective condition after being analysed in the laboratory, the Council initiates action against the guilty party.

On Consumer Rights:

CFBP encourages the people to come forward with their complaints or suggestions. With the concept of monopoly losing its relevance, the consumer is now an enviable position to dictate terms. The Council is easily accessible to the general public who can come forward with any problem related to a particular product. The complainant can write about the discrepancies found in the products like air conditioner, car, refrigerator, etc. The distrustful attitude or unprofessional style of functioning of a business organisation, which makes the consumer feel cheated, can also be brought to the notice of the Council. As the consumer courts observe long and cumbersome procedures, the consumer can approach the Consumer Redressal Committee of the Council.

On Consumer Redressal Committee of the Council:

The Consumer Redressal Committee (CRC) comprises of Dr V Subramanian, Mr Dinesh Parekh, Mr J B Martin, Ms Asha Idnani, Mr Shirish Deshpande, Ms Kamala Ramkrishnan, and Ms Swarn Kohli. The Council is aware of the fact that most of the manufacturers do not resort to devious or unscrupulous means of earning a livelihood. Quite often, people also file bogus complaints and try to seize advantage of the services offered by the Council. Hence, the CRC scrutinizes the legitimacy of a complaint filed by the consumer.

If the complaint is found genuine and legitimate by CRC, the Council would acts as a mediator between the consumer and the manufacturer with a view to finding an amicable solution to their problems. Thus the immediate action taken by the Council helps in addressing the problems faced by the consumers. Around 180 complaints were registered in the year 2001; and the Council had achieved a success rate of over 50 % in resolving such disputes.

Address:
Council for Fair Business Practices,
Great Western Building, 130/132,
S B Singh Road, Opp. Lion Gate,
Next to Cama Hall, Mumbai - 400 023

Tel: 2885249/2842590
Fax: 2844783
Email: cfbp@bol.net.in
Website: www.cfbp.org

By: Wasim Siddiqui

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