The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In the months of January and February, the Consumer Complaints and Appeals Authority (CCAA) received a total of 21 consumer complaints.
Of these, 11 were reported in February, with 8 cases successfully resolved and 3 are still pending.
Complaints varied, with six concerning miscellaneous issues, such as unethical business practices, misrepresentation, and substandard quality, while five pertained to violations of service terms and conditions.
A total of seventy-one business firms underwent inspection in the Dechencholing, Taba, Pamtsho, and Jungshina areas in Thimphu.
In January, CCAA received a total of 10 consumer complaints. Among these, 4 were service-related, while the remainder pertained to goods.
Of the 10 complaints, 8 have been successfully resolved, while the remaining 2 are currently under investigation.
Notably, half of the complaints were attributed to businesses breaching service terms and conditions. One complaint involved the supply of defective products, while the remaining 4 encompassed various forms of unethical business practices.
Total of 180 business firms in Mongar (Gyelposhing, Limithang, Yadi & Khelikhar) and 46 in Lhuentse (Autsho & Tangmachu) were also scrutinized in January.
In response to consumer grievances, a total refund of Nu 302,465 was issued to three consumers, and fines totaling Nu 22,962 were imposed on 28 business firms, primarily for selling expired edible items.
Addressing unethical trade practices, business firms were required to rectify issues such as weight calibration, proper packaging and labeling, and the issuance of purchase receipts.
In the fiscal year 2022-23, CCAA recorded a total of 148 consumer complaints, with 90 percent categorized as individual complaints seeking damages.
The remaining complaints required general rectification. A substantial sum of Nu 2,510,260 was reimbursed to affected consumers by 52 business entities found to have breached contractual agreements.
To resolve disputes, CCAA referred cases to Dispute Settlement Committees, resulting in Nu 561,092.5 refunded to two affected consumers.
Thimphu accounted for the highest number of complaints, while Gasa, Bumthang, Haa, and Tsirang reported no complaints in the previous year.
e-Commerce, though gaining popularity, presented challenges in regulation and surveillance, with only 52 out of 107 registered entities found to be operational. Despite the existence of guidelines for operating e-Commerce businesses and the requirement for formal registration, many operate without proper registration. This poses risks to consumers, and monitoring and regulating such businesses is difficult.
CCAA conducts market surveillance in significant markets nationwide to detect and resolve potential issues.
