The advisory council yesterday approved the Consumers Rights Protection Ordinance 2007, which had been approved twice by the last BNP-led government but was never implemented.
In its weekly meeting, the council also decided to appeal to the Dutch Supreme Court against a court order for payment of Tk 31 crore to a Dutch company in compensation for cancelling a contract in 2000. This may buy Bangladesh time to reach an out-of-court settlement with the Dutch company Tulip Computers.
The cabinet meeting also approved in principle the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) Ordinance (Amendment), which will allow the SEC to suspend trading of shares of any company for 45 days instead of present 15 days.
Approving the Consumers Rights Protection Ordinance 2007, the government has sent back the draft to the law and commerce ministries for vetting. The cabinet ordered the ministries to provide the final copy of the ordinance within two months, said Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim.
The proposed ordinance sets a punishment of maximum three years’ imprisonment or a fine of Tk 2 lakh for violation of consumer rights. Imprisonment for one year or a fine of Tk 50 thousand or both has been proposed as punishment for selling expired products.
The law and commerce ministries will review the eight chapters of the ordinance. The draft proposals include setting up of a 21-member committee to oversee the protection of consumer rights.
The last BNP-led government approved the ordinance twice in 2004 and 2006 but did not implement it.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Fahim Munaim said the government has decided to appeal to the Dutch Supreme Court as on September 11 a Dutch court rejected a previous appeal to overturn the Tk 31 crore fine.
By going to the Dutch Supreme Court, the government may get additional two years to reach an out-of-court settlement with Tulip Computers. “There is a good chance for reaching an out-of-court settlement with Tulip Computers. The government will also seek legal opinions on the matter,” said Fahim.
In 2004, a Dutch court ordered Bangladesh government to pay Tulip Computers Tk 31 crore in compensation for cancelling a Tk 50 crore contract. The company then used international law to block all Dutch aid to Bangladesh worth about 30 million euros a year.
In 2000, Tulip Computers started a project in Bangladesh, coordinated by the Dutch Ministry of Development Aid, to train 7,700 teachers in information technology and provide 11,000 computers and additional hardware. The Dutch government was to pay half the cost.
The advisory council approved amendment to the SEC Ordinance to correct three sections and add two more.
One of the amendments will allow the SEC to suspend trade for 45 days and extend it by another 45 days, if necessary. Under its present form, the SEC can suspend trade for 15 days and can extend it by 15 days more.
The cabinet also reviewed the progress of reforms in the police department. A new law is being drafted especially to ensure maintaining the “highest discipline” in the department.
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