Dear Editor, I have read Philip Galanis' article in the April 15 edition of The Nassau Guardian on the subject "Consumer Protection in The Bahamas" and felt obligated to respond. It would appear we have a shared interest, namely, greater protection for the Bahamian consumer.

 As you may be aware, I have been involved in the field of consumer protection for many years, having published Consumerism Today magazine for 10 of those years.

 The motto of the magazine incidentally was "developing a more educated, better-informed consumer".

I know and appreciate what needs to be done to address the legitimate concerns that Galanis addressed. For starters, the Consumer Protection Commission, provided for by the 2006 Consumer Protection Act, has never been established.

The Bahamas is being used as a dumping ground for inferior products, including food, fuel and wrecked vehicles, principally because we have never had a Bureau of Standards.

I still feel strongly about these and other issues of redress on behalf of Bahamian consumers; one that comes readily to mind is the need for an amendment to the Legal Professions Act so as to empower the Bahamas Bar Association to be able to issue annual practicing certificates to members of the Bahamian bar in good standing. This would help in mitigating against the unscrupulous preying on the unsuspecting.

 Vehicle theft is another area of grave concern and after having my vehicle stolen and meeting with the Central Detective Unit (CDU) and speaking with local insurers, the practice of reinsuring stolen vehicles leaves much to be desired.

 In this regard, the vehicle titling system is an excellent idea but should be coupled with the creation of a secure database and mandated collaboration between local insurers, the vehicle theft section of CDU and the Road Traffic Department.

I have also observed a marked deterioration in respect for the Price Control Regulations of The Bahamas - particularly by our major food stores.

 It has become common practice, when an item appears with two prices affixed, to be forced by management to pay the higher price - this despite the fact that the law mandates that the lower price be paid by the consumer.

 Computerized bar code scanners are also being used to take advantage of struggling Bahamians.

 If a price is affixed to an item but it scans for a higher price, management of these stores is insisting that the scanned price is the correct price and not the price tag affixed. This also is against the law.

It would appear then that a consumer information and education program based on our applicable laws is not only needed for our consumers, but also for management of major food stores who appear more interested in abiding by the policies of their respective establishments than by the laws of The Bahamas.

The problems with land in this country are legend and they are not only negatively impacting ordinary Bahamians without the means to take their matters before the Privy Council.

They are also tarnishing the international reputation of our country. But this too is a consumer protection issue. I am therefore of the considered view that a Ministry of Consumer Affairs would go a long way in not only highlighting these many deficiencies, but more importantly in leading the inter-disciplinary and ministerial charge that is now required so as to avoid these issues being continually kicked down the road and never being comprehensively addressed.

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