In a pre-budget meeting with finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Friday, the representatives of the consumer organisations suggested that the companies should be asked to mention ex-packaged price and wholesale price in addition to MRP on their products.

Some of the speakers underlined the need for setting up a National Safety Commission for safety of food, water and products. It would help in ensuring quality of food and drugs. In this connection, it was stressed that the testing facility should be upgraded at various levels.

The representatives also drew the attention of the minister on the issues concerning delay in the income tax refund and clearance of outstation cheques. They said that efforts should be made to streamline the procedures.

During the meeting, the representatives submitted a memorandum to the finance minister suggesting that the forthcoming budget should allocate financial resources for all regulatory authorities at the national as well as the state level. They have also suggested that the finance minister should initiate the process of dismantling or reducing some of the non-merit subsidies, starting with higher education and urban transportation which do not affect the interests of the poor consumers.

The consumer activists also suggested setting up of a consumer justice system and mobile courts for disposal of consumer cases in the rural areas, provision of laboratory facilities at the state consumer commission level, overhauling of the PDS system to serve the target groups and further widening of the tax net. They also wanted that the debt recovery tribunals should be permitted to publish the names of bank defaulters.

The finance minister, on his part, urged the consumer organisations and activists to create awareness among consumers to resist unfair trade practice. Sinha added that the government wanted to encourage fair competition and bring an end to monopoly. In this context, he said, a competition law and competition policy was expected to be enacted soon.

The minister added that the government's endeavour would be to protect the consumers' interest in the next budget also. He said price situation has improved and inflation was under control and the consumer price index has gone down to zero level which would definitely help the consumers.

Responding to a suggestion from a delegate about the review of the Consumer Protection Act, the minister revealed that the issue was being examined and a new legislation would be enacted soon. Those who participated in the meeting included R Desikan, Pradeep Mehta, Srinivasa Narayana Swamy, S Pushpavanam, Manubhai shah, Sri Ram khanna, Asha Idnani and Pushpa Girimaji.