July 6, 2001
Head of Jamaican Consumer Agency Selected Chairman of Caribbean Consumer
Committee at Trinidad Conference
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Manning was selected convener and chairman of a newly formed
Caribbean Consumer Committee of seven (7) Caribbean
Representatives at the 4th Regional Caribbean Conference of over
100 delegates held in Trinidad and Tobago between June 27 and 29,
2001. This Committee will seek to advance the education and
protection of consumers within the Caribbean Region and provide for
the harmonization of consumer policies, regulations and strategies
across the region.
The conference was hosted by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with Consumers International, a worldwide non-profit promotion of consumer interests. The Conference addressed issues such as the apathy of Caribbean consumers in relation to the exercise of their rights as consumers, the role of the state in protecting consumer interest, the abuse of consumer rights by utilities and other monopolies in the region and the implications of trade agreements within the CARICOM, among other issues.
Jamaica's Consumer Affairs Commission, a government agency reporting to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Technology, is recognized and respected regionally and internationally for its consumer education and other programmes.
Over the three-month period April to June, the Consumer Affairs Commission received 701 complaints and successfully resolved 669 complaints from consumers against providers of goods and services. The CAC has negotiated refunds exceeding $2 million on behalf of consumers over the past three months and currently accepts complaints by various modes including the Internet, through its website.