CAC to Host Town Hall on Digital Financing

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is inviting the public to participate in a virtual town hall on digital financing on Tuesday, March 15 beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The event, which is being held in observance of World Consumer Rights Day, will be broadcast via Zoom and streamed on the CAC’s Facebook page and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Facebook and YouTube platforms.

Persons can register online at www.consumeraffairsjamaica.gov.jm.

Chief Executive Officer at the CAC, Dolsie Allen, told JIS News that the town hall, being staged under the theme ‘The CAC and You: Fair Digital Financing’, will provide opportunity for participants to gain insight from industry leaders on digital financing solutions for more informed decision-making.

She noted that the session will be beneficial, particularly as more persons are conducting business online due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). These include banking, bill payments, shopping, taxation, among other things.

“We have all accepted the fact that the world has tremendously changed. The advent of COVID-19 has really impacted how we now do business. This has led to industries now having to move to digitisation to [offer services],” she pointed out.

She noted that while it is convenient and easier for some persons to adapt to the changes, there are risk factors that can lead to unfair outcomes for consumers, especially those who are most vulnerable.

“We are sensitising consumers, as we know that there are people out there who have nefarious intentions. There are persons waiting to rob individuals of what they have. We have a lot of fraud and scams happening and so we are alerting consumers of the ways in which they can protect themselves and to ensure that these risks are minimised,” Ms. Allen said.

Presentations will be made by the Dean of the College of Business and Management at the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica, Professor Paul Golding, utility providers and regulators, consumer representatives, among others.