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srilawsby aturio
As enacted
Contents

Part VIII · Customer Protection

51. Handling of customer complaints made to the Authority

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

(1)

The Authority shall appoint an officer or officers

(hereinafter referred to as “inquiring officers”) to handle complaints received from customers aggrieved by a licencee.

(2)

For the purpose of subsection (1), the Authority shall have the power to-

(a)

inquire and request the licencee, the complainant and any other person to submit information as it may deem necessary;

(b)

conduct examinations under Part VII of this

Act; or

(c)

summon the licencee or the complainant or both such licencee and complainant for an inquiry or investigation.

(3)

An Attorney at Law shall not be entitled or be permitted to make a representation on behalf of any party who is summoned by the Authority, for the purposes of subsection (2).

(4)

The Authority may adopt an appropriate procedure as may be specified by rules for holding inquiries under subsection (2).

(5)

The inquiring officer shall endeavor to bring the parties to an amicable settlement, and in the event of a failure to do so, the Director-General may, considering the representations made by such parties to the Authority and the recommendation of the inquiring officer and such other matters which in his opinion merit inquiry –

(a)

take any one or more actions under subsection (1) of section 39 as directed by the Authority;

(b)

issue directions to the licencee or the customer or both such licencee and customer as the case may be; or

(c)

take both actions under paragraphs (a) and (b)

above.

(6)

The Authority shall maintain a database of complaints received by customers or licencees, and analyse such complaints to identify current and emerging issues in the moneylending business and microfinance business, patterns of such issues, recurrence of same issues and such other similar concerns as the Authority may consider necessary.

Read on from s 52

Part IX

Investigation of Offences

Read on from Part IX

Part X

Offences and Penalties

Read on from Part X

Part XI

Finance

Read on from Part XI

Part XII

General

Read on from Part XII

Part XIII

Transitional Provisions

Read on from Part XIII

Schedules