Protecting rights

Minister Counsellor (Development), Senior Director, Caribbean Regional Programme and Canadian Director to the Caribbean Development Bank Benoît-Pierre Laramée has pointed to the value of a modern framework protecting fair trading between those supplying and those purchasing.

Addressing the opening of the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean Project’s (IMPACT Justice) Caricom Regional Meeting at the Accra Beach Hotel yesterday morning, he said “In periods of adversity, a modern framework protecting fair trading between suppliers and consumers is critical to ensuring the rights of all parties and provide means to seek redress when these rights are violated.”

“Consumer protection is therefore a key element of inclusive governance and instrumental to integrating resiliency into legislative frameworks for doing business. In recognising that consumer protection legislation in member states was limited, dispersed, outdated and in some instances non-existent, the Caricom Secretariat developed model legislation in 2016,” he said, while noting that regulations for the bill had not been drafted at that time.

Laramée stated that the drafting of model harmonised regulations and the meeting were therefore timely.

He pointed out that through its partnership with the Caribbean, Canada was aiming to support the region’s efforts to rebuild resiliency through sustainable growth, reducing the region’s vulnerability to natural disaster and climate change.

“This means the ability of individuals, households, communities, ecosystems and nations to withstand, recover and adapt to change and to crises. When crises occur, it is even more critical to enable people and governments to function effectively in transacting business and accessing resources. Consumer protection comprises the laws and polices adopted by governments to protect the rights of consumers. These laws regulate fair trading, competition and the rights of citizens to accurate information,” he stated. (JMB)