Business urged to wade in on consumer protection
Paul Byles, Chamber of Commerce President
(CNS): The new Chamber of Commerce president, Paul Byles, is urging all businesses to engage in the consultation process for the proposed Consumer Protection and Guarantees bill because he believes it will be much more difficult to ask for change once the law is passed. The bill is designed to give consumers some legal protections when buying goods and services, as to date there is no law to protect customers from bad business practices.
Byles pointed out that, since this legislation could force local traders and service providers to be decent and fair, it will impact a diverse set of Chamber members, from financial services businesses to carpenters.
He said, “A key area of consideration for all businesses is to assess if this new legislation will require them to make changes to their existing procedures and contracts. Such changes can have a significant impact depending on the current approach being taken by the business.”
The Chamber will be arranging a Be Informed session on Thursday, 22 February, for members to ensure they are fully apprised of the key requirements of the proposed legislation and to gauge concerns. Byles said the feedback from members will be combined with the results of a focus group working on the issue and given to the Law Reform Commission.
Category: Business
contradiction ..Government just trying to relax trade and business regulations but now introducing more red tape for businesses? 2 steps forward and 3 back…go direct to the problem and fix the prices of gas stations and CUC. no need to create more laws
Good effort Paul. Appreciate the initiative from the Chamber and wish you luck in overcoming some of the hurdles that will be faced. Keep up the good work and new initatives. It has been a long time since the Chamber has taken new initiatives.
Yes and with the help of our wonderful Premier and the Unity team this will be another great achievement for us all. 4 more years for our great Unity Team!!!
why doesn’t the government enforce existing laws instead of bringing in new ones…the draft I saw on the website will just finish off small businesses.
blahhh blahh…pseudo events…any ………. knows the drill…quell the mass…support the rich
Why not have construction companies show proof of liability insurance before they can get a business license? Their word and work is good until your check clears the bank. Then the project falls apart and their phone suddenly don’t work.. Dat wa u get
Make licensed contractors carry and bond and on the other hand give them the ability to put a lien on property when they don’t get paid. It works both ways.
If it is about consumer protection, then businesses should have no input.
But of course it is not about consumer protection. It is about legalizing the absurd greed we have here.
Buy oversees please.
There are many businesses on island with competitive prices. There are some with absurd prices. Gone are the days when on island consumers had a tough time comparing prices. For those businesses who price competitively, I try to support them as much as I can. It’s important for our economy and it can be a very pleasant experience when you know you aren’t getting ripped off. Shop small, shop local (when prices are fair).
Good idea. Fox; go guard the house the hen house. Good boys!
Sister Islands session?