Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) giving his statement prior to the start of the debate on the long awaited Consumer Protection Bill at the Fifth Sitting of the First Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA), which resumed today, Thursday July 25, 2019. Photo: Youtube

Consumer protection was a campaign promise of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) in the lead up to the February 25, 2019 general elections and the bill was tabled for first time in the House of Assembly (HoA) on May 7, 2019. Photo: Fairfax County

This was declared by Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) in a statement prior to the start of the debate on the long awaited Consumer Protection Bill at the Fifth Sitting of the First Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA), which resumed today, Thursday July 25, 2019.

No games  

Commending the work done by Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon Sharie B. de Castro, as the engine moving the bill forward, Hon Fahie said his five-month old government has been able to deliver on another critical contentious item, as it is not a government that is for playing games with the fortunes of other people.

Hon Fahie noted; however, that the bill started under the previous administration. “In fact, except for the provisions of operationalising the act and a few other adjustments, most of the provisions are the same as those contained in the NDP’s version of the bill.

“As such, Mr Speaker, I think everyone would be surprised if the NDP members on the opposite side vote against this bill today, ” Hon Fahie added, noting that there were at least two opposition members who were vigorously lobbying for consumer protection laws while they were ministers in the former administration.

“But as hard as those ministers lobbied and as hard as the national population begged for consumer protection, the former government seemed to be locked in the grasp of forces that cannot be seen with the naked eyes. So I guess we will have to wait and see if there will be any division in the opposite ranks on this issue.”

Failure by NDP Gov’t owed to conflict of interest- Hon Fahie

Highlighting that consumer protection legislation was a campaign promise of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) in the lead up to the February 25, 2019 general elections, Hon Fahie said by May 7, 2019 the bill was tabled for first time in the HoA.

And while some NDP supporters continue to trumpet that the VIP Government should just govern and not look back at the shortcomings of the last administration, Hon Fahie was not prepared to let the NDP off the hook so easily, saying he wanted to place on record he is of the opinion the previous administration had no genuine intention or political will to give consumer protection to the people of the territory and that it “sabotaged and frustrated its own efforts at bringing consumer protection.”

The premier said the failure by the last administration to implement consumer protection legislation left citizens at the mercy of certain unscrupulous business persons, even during one of the most vulnerable times of their lives- in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria.

He said after the hurricanes of 2017 there were reports of certain businesses hoarding goods and engaging in price gouging. “The prices to items that were essential to surviving such as food stuff, water, cleaning supplies,  candles and matches, were hyped up on a desperate population, and those were just to name a few.”

According to the Premier, it was no secret that many citizens felt the reason consumer protection never made it off the ground was because of conflict of interest, “a case of the fox standing guard at the henhouse.”

Political football

Premier Fahie reminded that for more than 30 years the people of the territory have been clamouring for legislation to protect them from unfair and unscrupulous trade practices and that numerous attempts at constructing and developing a framework for consumer protection were all “stillborn”. 

“For 30 years, all we have been getting on the topic of consumer protection is talk.”

He said the important issue was kicked around like a political football presumably because of conflict of interest as “powerful influential forces wanted to continue to exploit our people and it was in their interest to keep our people vulnerable.”

According to Hon Fahie, for six years the previous government dangled the promise of consumer protection legislation to the population like a carrot in their faces in a last minute bid to buy votes.

“Thankfully the population gave them the right response at the ballot box on February 25th.”