Citing complaints over the years by businesses such as retail stores and small business owners among others, commentators have called on government to take a stronger look at trade and consumer affairs within the territory. Photo: VINO/File

Business Consultant (Ag) and Director for Trade and Consumer Affairs Mr. Kevin C. Smith. Photo: Facebook

Host of the Umoja show, Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka, encouraged government to strengthen the trade and consumer affairs department. Photo: VINO

Co-host, Natalio Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru felt there are examples of regulation around that are supposed to improve how the market functions by providing greater competition and defending against monopolising and unfair business practices in the territory. Photo: VINO/File

Host of the Umoja show, Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka, encouraged government to strengthen the trade and consumer affairs department last evening, September 26, 2013.

He felt this could be done by adding greater human and financial resources and to set a vision and mission in the department that would speak to ensuring that there were level playing fields in the marketplace, fair competition, safety in product sales and an avenue for consumer redress.

“That is what I’m hoping the government would start looking into because this has been going on for far too long and we’ve been complaining about it,” he said.

Co-host, Natalio Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru noted that it was progressive for the Virgin Islands to possess a Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) which is tasked with the responsibility of regulating the telecommunications industry.

“Sometimes we have this attitude that we can’t regulate,” Wheatley expressed.

He felt there are examples of regulation around that are supposed to improve how the market functions by providing greater competition and defending against monopolising and unfair business practices in the territory.

“It’s interesting that we see regulation as being effective in this area but we can’t translate it to other areas in our brains,” Wheatley said.

Smith said he was unaware whether there was a retail organisation in existence which could bring lobbying efforts to bear on the administrations. Wheatley suggested that perhaps a consumer group should be formed.

However, Smith argued that it was reasonable to expect that if the territory has a trade and consumer affairs department that that department should be looking into unfair business practices, uneven playing fields, unfair competition, price gouging and making sure that products that are sold on the shelf are safe.

He further stated, “There’s a whole lot that a trade and consumer affairs department needs to be doing in protecting the consumer and making sure that there is a level of safety and fairness in the marketplace.”

Smith said he could not see that there is a need for a lobbying group, particularly in such a small territory, when there is clearly a department set up that should be monitoring and ensuring that the residents of the territory get fairness and are looked after.