Dr Smith dodges timeline for Consumer Protection, Tenancy & FOI bills
Premier Smith was at the time a guest on the ZBVI 780 AM radio show, More Talk Less Music with host Zoe J. Walcott-McMillan, on November 25, 2017.
While on the show, residents of the Virgin Islands were given an opportunity to text questions to Premier Smith.
The Leader of Government Business was asked when his Government was going to bring the Freedom of Information, Consumer Protection and Tenancy bills to the House of Assembly.
To that, Premier Smith dodged giving a timeline, although the public, the media, talk show hosts and a previous Governors, have long been calling for those bills.
“Well these things are necessary and they will be done. As a matter for fact we have already started the work on most of these legislations. The need for that have been brought on now even more striking than before because of what has happened during Hurricane Irma, and so there is no doubt that these are going to be high priority as far as the government is concerned.”
While no specific date or timeframe was given the Premier also added that “It will take some time for the consultation that is necessary for the development of legislation by the Attorney General’s Office and by the ministries responsible, but certainly they will be given priority.”
How much more time?
The fact of the matter is that neither of these legislations are new and residents and legislators alike have been calling for them for a long while now. It was Junior Minister for Tourism Honourable Archibald C. Christian (AL) who recently said “I think I was a teenager when I heard people in the BVI talking about consumer protection….and we still talking about them,” while addressing the House of Assembly on November 13, 2017.
Way back in 2011 promises were made to the people in the Manifesto of the National Democratic Party to enact legislations for Consumer Protection. In the 2012 speech from the Throne, delivered by the United Kingdom appointed Governor William B. McLeary for the Government of the day, he stated that the Premier indicated that his Government “would focus on a Consumer Protection Act to provide for the promotion and protection of consumers interest, in relations to the supply of goods and the provision of services to ensure protection of life, health and safety of consumers...” Public meetings were promised for the 3rd quarter of 2013, which did not happen.
It was on the same show, More Talk Less Music, aired Saturday November 18, 2017, that the Junior Minister for Trade and Investment Promotions Honourable Marlon A Penn (R8) stated that the consumer protection legislation is currently on The Premier’s table, and actually had his draft document with him on the show.
Other prominent personalities of the VI have also been calling for the enactment of these bills and condemned the government for the lengthy delay. In August of 2016, the government was again berated for not passing the Freedom of Information Act by host of the 3D Show on ZBVI 780 AM, Mr Doug Wheatley.
In 2015, Mr Elton Georges OBE, who is a former Complaints Commissioner, spoke out against the Government failing to pay attention to the Freedom of Information Act which he claimed has been on the shelves since 2005. He was at the time speaking at an exit and welcome press conference on June 30, 2015 at the Office of the Complaints Commissioner.
Previous Governor John S. Duncan OBE even publicly chastised the NDP Government for failing to enact a Freedom of Information legislation.
As recent as in the Eleventh Sitting of the Second Session of the Third House of Assembly, Junior Minister for Tourism, Honourable Archibald C. Christian (AL) and Minister for Education and Culture Hon Myron V. Walwyn (AL) both called for speedy processing and enacting of these legislations, citing that they are bombarded with complaints of tenants/landlord issues intensified by the recent hurricanes, making them more of a necessity.
According to Hon Christian, the need for a tenants/landlord legislation has been mentioned many times before in the HoA and in Speeches from the Throne; however, it is time for such a legislation to provide protection for the tenants and the landlords.
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12 Responses to “Dr Smith dodges timeline for Consumer Protection, Tenancy & FOI bills”
if you are not satisfy with the product. Just giving a store credit should not be the only option we have thus causing the consumer to pay twice for one item. This is one of the reason, I started shopping at stores that give options and from online.
It a lot simpler that most wants you to believe. All that is require is you fill out a refund policy form, attach your receipt and a few days later they give you the money. I understand that they can not give you the money right away but after ending that day, they can do it. If the hospital can do it why can't other businesses do it.
This gang will not enact any of these legislation under their watch. They are too corrupt and too untrustworthy to do so. Orlando is a d*m cl*wn.