THE Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) in collaboration with the Guyana Press Association (GPA) hosted a lecture on the Competition and Fair Trading Act (CFTA) and the Consumer Affairs Act(CAA).

The lecture, held at the Moray House on Tuesday, saw in attendance mostly media operatives and was aimed at equipping them with the requisite knowledge in educating the public on the two Acts.

GPA president Nazima Raghubir said the informative lecture series is the brainchild of the late Terrence ‘Terry’ Holder who started it many moons ago.
Raghubir, in noting the importance of the forum, said many times things are done and the media is not informed and the information-sharing session goes a far way in correcting this information gap.

During the lecture, CCAC director Dawn Cush highlighted the role and importance of the Acts and their implications for businesses and consumers.
Giving a brief history on the two pieces of legislation, Cush explained that Guyana’s competition regime was founded due to Guyana’s commitment under CARICOM, regarding competition policy and law, enactment and enforcement, which are captured in chapter eight of the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

This commitment gave birth to the Competition and Fair Trading Act in 2006 which later established a Competition Commission, later renamed ‘Competition Consumer Affairs Commission’. With the passing of the Consumer Affairs Act in 2011, the CCAC became fully operational in that same year and since then has had the responsibility of executing both Acts.

Shedding light on the CFTA, she pointed out that competition among businesses in Guyana plays a significant role in the development of Guyana’s economy.
“Competition puts businesses under constant pressure to offer the best possible range of goods and services at the best possible prices because if they don’t, consumers have the choice to buy elsewhere,” she said.

However, CFTA includes a whole host of rules governing market players. It comprises policies that seek to ensure a level playing field in which small and medium-sized enterprises can enter and remain profitable in any sector.

Some of the rules are intended to protect consumers; these rules fall under the CAA.
However, in order for consumers to get representation from CCAC, they must be in possession of the receipt as proof of purchase.
Cush urged that consumers demand receipts so that they can be assisted in enforcing this policy on businesses.

She pointed out that the Commission has started issuing businesses with compliance certificates and non-compliant businesses with notices.

It was also underscored that the Commission provides certain services aimed at assisting businesses and the public at large to better understand the Acts. These include hourly workshops, day-long seminars and tailored publications.