Attorney General to propose tougher laws against non-compliant retailers
Cabinet has called for increased public education and advertising by the Prices and Consumer Affairs Division as part of a broader effort to tighten enforcement against retailers who refuse to comply with price control laws, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said Thursday.
Merchant said Cabinet indicated that the division should expand its outreach efforts to better inform both consumers and businesses about their obligations under the law.
“One of the areas that the Cabinet indicated to the Prices and Consumer Affairs Division was to increase their marketing program, sensitising the public on what the law says and what is anticipated,” Merchant said.
He said the effort is also aimed at retailers who are routinely inspected.
“Sensitising the people whom they are required to assess on a regular basis, mainly supermarket and retail providers,” he said.
Alongside increased public education, Merchant said Cabinet is also weighing stronger legal measures to deal with retailers who continue to refuse cooperation, including withholding invoices and other required documentation during inspections.
He said the Attorney General is preparing proposals to strengthen the law.
“His team will be making a presentation to the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda at next session,” Merchant said.
Merchant said the proposed legal changes are intended to support enforcement efforts by the Prices and Consumer Affairs Division, which is also in the process of being strengthened with additional staff following an immediate Cabinet directive.
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Whatever dude..no one thinks you have the spine for this job anymore..we don’t even believe you ever had that spine anyway.
Go sit down “Sir Knighted” Cutie, your days have passed..this Administration has lost this country to the these and robbers.
Where was that spine for the $15mil in cars that was stolen from right under your nose?
Oh please.. go give the job to someone else sir, you just don’t have it..sorry.
Oh please, just give me a damn break. This administration knew the public was being ripped off for years and years and chose not to do a damn thing, election is just around the corner, so you all decide to come with this just to secure another term. You all are not fooling us anymore. Just pack all you Georgie bundle and go to hell
We’ll believe it when we see it in our shopping.
Stop the chitter chatter Steadroy ‘Talk Talk’ Benjamin and tackle the ongoing price gouging. Many Antiguans are needlessly cutting back because of retailers greed and avarice.
This is why no-one believes the recent government figures in the so-called FALL in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures. Tarl!!!
This is when it is appropriate to increase penalty/fine, as businesses are about maximizing of profit and any risk of losing profits can be deterrence here. I do hope the legislation would include complete gorging of all profits and penalty together. Including jail time for business owners, under certain aggravating circumstances. Also need more opportunity reduction by sending enforcement officers out daily and providing rewards to employees and the public for tips that results in probable cause or successful prosecution and recovery of legal damages/fine.
Please go after those businesses in the clothing business too, plus pussy to expensive in the whorehouses.
His Cabinet colleagues and he know who the real culprits are , as much as they know of the dishonest business folks who failed to remit their taxes to the government. This is only a ploy to pacify the concerns of the public. Why do they think that we believe them when we well know that these perpetrators hold the purses to their election campaigning?
He’s nothing but a big waste.
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