Pictured from left are Stephen Wedderburn, Chief Technical Officer, Jamaica's Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Dolsie Allen, CEO, Consumer Affairs Commission of Jamaica; Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) Chairman Senator Jerome Gomez, Michelle Parkins, Director of Commerce, Jamaica's Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, and Philip Beneby, CPC Deputy Chairman

Amid calls for consumer protection that continue to ring out in arenas including retail and banking, Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) Chairman Senator Jerome Gomez questioned whether there is truly an appetite for consumer advocacy in The Bahamas. Gomez spoke with Guardian Business about the impending launch of the CPC. Questioned as to whether he feels the appetite for consumer advocacy in The Bahamas is strong enough to give the CPC leverage to make real change, the senator spoke frankly.

"There does not appear to be an appetite for consumer advocacy in The Bahamas, but I think that that is only the case because Bahamians have gotten used to having no recourse to their consumer issues.

"The attitude in The Bahamas is that the merchant is king. Whatever they decide that's it, take it or leave it. If your microwave is destroyed during a power surge, if BEC says they are not paying or only paying $20.00 for it, what do you do? So I think Bahamian consumers took the attitude that you just suck it up and move on. The commission intends to encourage the establishment of private consumer advocacy groups to bring consumer issues to the fore," he said.

Gomez and his deputy, Philip Beneby, made an official visit to Jamaica's Consumer Affairs Commission to review its operations and to see what assistance that agency might be able to give to The Bahamas in launching the CPC. While in Jamaica, the delegation also visited the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce, the Bureau of Standards, the Office of Utilities Regulation, the Fair Trading Commission and the Anti-Dumping & Subsidies Commission. He also discussed what the visit revealed regarding the relationship between the Jamaican entity and the public.

"The Jamaican Commission's office was established in 2006, so they have been around for a while. They did public education at the very beginning to get the word out quickly and they gained traction quickly. Because the cost of living, unemployment and poverty levels are so high, the Jamaican public wants to ensure that they get value for the products and services they buy, so they are looking for recourse if they receive sub-standard products or services. Their commission has enjoyed a good level of success over the last 10 years. The commission does presentations to primary school students right up to adults on consumer rights," Gomez said.

According to the senator the information received was invaluable to the work of The Bahamas' Commission.

By K. Quincy Parker

Guardian Staff

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