Islamabad-In an attempt to enhance organizational cooperation across the border, Mrs. YouTaka Arai, the Japanese Consumer Affairs Commissioner (CAA), met with Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidho, Chairman of the Competition Committee in Pakistan (CCP), on Monday to discuss joint initiatives in regulating the digital market and consumer protection.
During the meeting at the CCP headquarters, Dr. Sidhu set the increasing focus of Pakistan on overseeing the digital market, highlighting the launch of the committee’s study on Evaluating the competition for digital markets and digital services in Pakistan. He said that the study will reach a draft draft coming in the digital markets, the alignment of Pakistan’s approach to global trends in the judicial states such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia and India.
Dr. Sidho said: “This initiative will not only study the impact of digital markets on competition and employment, but also provides politics recommendations in line with international best practices.”
Mrs. Arai welcomed the initiative, noting that Japan also faces challenges in organizing its digital economy. She participated that Tokyo is in the process of submitting the digital market law to enhance control in the sector. The two sides agreed to cooperation in the field of continuous research and policy development.
Quoting recent reforms, Mrs. Arai pointed to amendments in Japan Work on specific commercial transactions It was imposed in June 2022, which now requires e-commerce sellers to display the main contractual details clearly-such as quantity, payment conditions and delivery tables-on final exit screens. These changes enable consumers the right to cancel contracts in misleading information cases and prohibit the distortion of cancellation rights, with penalties ranging from administrative work to direct punitive measures.
“While the Japan Law does not directly prohibit defective goods in e -commerce, there is a strong encouragement for sellers to ensure quality and transparency,” she said, adding that consumer confidence is enhanced by clear guidelines and accountability.
Dr. Sidho acknowledged the importance of Japan’s experience in the electronic scene in Pakistan, especially with the rise of online online shopping. He suggested developing the Central Product Safety Law in Pakistan, similar to international best practices.
To make the official nature, CCP and Caa Japan agreed to form a joint research group focused on digital markets and consumer rights. The initiative is expected to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and the manufacture of cooperative policy.
The meeting with both countries concluded, expressing his commitment to deepening institutional relations and enhancing consumer protection frameworks in the advanced digital economy.
