A CONSULTATION, hosted at the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown headquarters last Saturday, underscored that a main concern of Guyanese consumers is the lack of public awareness on a cross-section of issues relating to their affairs.

The forum was organised in an effort to include women’s views in the drafting of legislation on consumer affairs and the facilitators were from the National Competitiveness Strategy Unit (NCSU).

THE FACILITATORS: From left, Dr. Cecil Rajana, Ms. Muriel Tennis and Mr. Jonathan Said.

Among them was NCSU Director, Dr. Cecil Rajana, its senior economist, Mr. Jonathan Said and Ms. Muriel Tennis, Director of Consumer Affairs in the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.

In attendance were women from Regions Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) and Four (Demerara/Mahaica), affiliated to the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), an arm of the PPP.

Rajana said the consumer protective law has been in the making for almost a decade but its passage was delayed for a number of reasons.

He said consulting the women was critical as they are the key stakeholders, because the majority of them are responsible for the disposable income of the home and all the household expenditure.

Rajana said the draft document places emphasis on goods and services and the framework within which they are provided, without duplicating the functions of other organisations.

COMMISSION
He said, with the passage of the statute, a consumer affairs commission will be set up to ensure its effective implementation and enforcement.

Rajana said some examples of what is included in the bill are:

* professional services, which include those provided by doctors and lawyers;

* refund policy, which also incorporates a condition that prevents abuse by the consumer population;

* the power of the Consumer Affairs Commission to mediate between consumer and suppliers;

* the power of the same commission to investigate after securing a summons from the Courts, and

PARTICIPANTS: Mrs. Indra Chandarpal (right) among those at the Freedom House meeting on Saturday last.

* seizure of goods that the Commission has reason to believe are life threatening, without prior consent from the Courts.

“The consumer affairs legislation is meant to protect the poor people while maintaining a fair perspective to benefit producers, proprietors and other business people,” the NCSU Director said.

However, one woman who opted to remain unnamed, asked what were the long term education programmes to make a wider cross-section of consumers more aware of both their rights and responsibilities, as well as the provisions in the law.

In response, Tennis said her division’s role is to help Guyanese understand the part the legislation will play and its content.

“We are here to help consumers make discerning choices when they shop,” she elaborated.

ENGAGES
Tennis said her office also engages in national meetings and public awareness campaigns, in addition to making it a priority to investigate complaints.

She said television, radio and newspapers are being used to enlighten the public on different issues.

“We do different topics each time looking at various current issues that benefit the consumer, like school shopping,” Tennis explained.

Jonathan offered that this kind of information dissemination is one of the facets the law would enforce.

He noted that apart from information, the Act also looks at property rights from the perspectives of both the consumer and the supplier.

Ultimately, Jonathan noted that the legislating aims at development of markets which would lead to future growth, more jobs and advancement of the country’s economy.

“The consumer affairs legislation gives consumers something to fall back on when dealing with businesses,” he asserted.

Following his assertion, several women raised other concerns to which the facilitating team responded.

Those included:
* the need to monitor the transportation service, so as to regulate the cost for using public transport;

* the need to regularise mechanisms for dealing with contractual agreements, be they between landlord and tenant or auto dealers and buyers;

* the verification of imported goods (electrical appliances and mobile phones) claimed by suppliers to be new, when they are refurbished;

* misrepresentations in marketing by suppliers to secure a sale/deal;

* the need to legalise a stipulation that states once a consumer has paid 50 percent of an amount owed to any supplier the merchandise cannot be seized, leaving the consumer with a loss of financial resources as well and

* the need to crack down on the sale of goods that have passed their expiry dates.

Following answers to their queries, the questioners were given hotline telephone numbers 225-5858, 225-0665 or 226-6996 to call the Consumer Affairs Division.

WPO General Secretary, Mrs. Indra Chandarpal agreed that consumer affairs legislation is an imperative that would assist the average buyer.

“While one may not be able to police everything that affects the consumer, the legislation will offer a framework to assist in the protection of the rights and enforcement of responsibilities,” she posited.