More Protection for Consumers

Jamaicans can look forward to more satisfactory redress for breaches of their consumer rights, when the Consumer Protection Tribunal comes into being in July.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, says the tribunal has become necessary, as when complaints are made to the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC), investigations are carried out, but the agency’s ability to impose a remedy is limited.

“This has proven to be frustrating for the consumer, who having had his or her rights breached, found that there was very little in the way of remedy, unless it rose to a level of significance that would attract the attention of the Fair Trading Commission, and of course that involved, in many instances, litigation. It was important to find a balance between the outright legal system and the purely advocacy role that the CAC plays,” he explained.

In light of this, the Minister said changes were made to the Consumer Protection Act to establish a tribunal, which provides the possibility of remedies for breaches of consumer rights.

The Minister was speaking on Wednesday, May 15, at a Jamaica House press briefing, which was hosted at the Office of the Prime Minister, by Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer.

Mr. Hylton said that as a quasi judicial body, the tribunal will provide outcomes, and decisions will be made in a more formal setting.

“So, it will have the look and feel of a judicial proceeding, but the rules will be different – more in the nature of an administrative hearing,” he elaborated.

Meanwhile, the CAC is to be relocated from Old Hope Road to the Half-Way Tree area, which the Minister said will be more easily accessible for citizens.

There will also be structural changes, such as expansion of the role of consumer advocates, allowing for information to be gleaned on a wider scale. “One way to achieve that in this period of constraint, is to look at a role for the citizen advocate,” he said. Currently, this activity is carried out by CAC staff.

Contact: Alphea Saunders