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| Minister Timothy Harris said the recent initiative of price controls on a select basket of goods was one measure designed to protect the consumer. |
Basseterre, St. Kitts (August 23, 2007): The protection of consumers in St. Kitts and Nevis is high on the agenda of government.
At a news conference on Wednesday at Government Headquarters, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris said the recent initiative of price controls on a select basket of goods was one measure designed to protect the consumer. He outlined other measures government is interested in.
“There are other issues in relation to legislative measures, consumer education and the establishment of consumer groups and trade associations which are all part of the grouping of consumer protection and ensures that consumers are treated fairly,” he said. ~~Adz:Right~~
Minister Harris explained that his government is committed to serving the people through legislation that provides for consumer protection, awareness and empowerment. He also stressed government’s dedication to ensuring that the population is healthy. Minister Harris said they intend to do this by giving certain products special consideration when considering price control.
He cited the increase in diseases that affect the quality of life such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma.
“Medication is getting extremely expensive,” he stressed. “There therefore is an ethical issue. A question of human survival itself, that somebody must intervene to moderate and ensure that the child in Phillips’ suffering from asthma will not die because his parents cannot afford the medication.”
The minister responsible for consumer affairs revealed that government opted not to establish a Tribunal which would deal exclusively with consumer affairs matters, at this time. He revealed that government, in the spirit of cooperation, has been receiving assistance from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in setting up the necessary infrastructure to help companies regulate themselves in setting standards for goods and services.
“These kinds of developments need to be encouraged across the plethora of service providers within the country,” he stated. “The self-regulatory mechanism is an important building block upon which the consumer will be able to rely on for remedy.
“We have been doing more work in terms of capacity and institutional building, (which differs from) going the Tribunal route, but that is a matter now that has to be reflected upon in light of recent experiences,” the Minister said.
