#Nassau, June 29, 2019 – Bahamas –
Remarks
by
Chairman
of the Price Commission
Mr. Daniel Sumner
At The
Price
Commission Press Conference
At The
The
Department of Labour
Thursday, June 27th, 2019
At 2:00 p.m.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, a
pleasant good afternoon to you.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome
you here today to announce the relaunch of the Price Commission hotline number
as well as to update you on ongoing efforts which are being carried out by the
Price Commission to protect consumers throughout the length and breadth of The
Bahamas.
Currently, the Price Commission falls
under the carriage of the Ministry of Labour and has been given the mandate to
serve and protect consumers from unfair prices charged by unscrupulous
merchants.
Since assuming the post of Chairman of
the Price Commission, I have received numerous complaints from various consumers
about a number of merchants committing alleged price infractions on the
breadbasket list of food items. These cases are considered to be serious
breaches of the Price Control Act and the Price Commission is actively pursuing
these matters in conjunction with the relevant law enforcement authorities and
we wish to put merchants on notice that those found guilty will be prosecuted
to the fullest extent of the law.
I wish to assure the Bahamian public
that the Price Commission is fully committed to protecting the interests of all
consumers and as a result has intensified its partnership with NEMA (the
National Emergency Management Agency), the various consumer boards and law
enforcement agencies to ensure that no consumer is unfairly taken advantage of
at any time in The Bahamas particularly during the Hurricane Season.
Some
of the Areas of Focus The Price Commission Will Be Keeping A Tight Eye On will
include:
1.Price
Gouging
The Price Commission is aware that over
the years, the Bahamian public has become overwhelmed by the practice of price
gouging by a small pocket of dishonest merchants. Therefore, we wish to assure
the public that we here at the Commission will be policing and watching out for
any price gouging in accordance with Chapter 339 section 3 subsection 1 of the
Price Control Act, so that Consumers are not taken advantage of.
Price gouging has a penalty of a fine
not exceeding $5,000 (five thousand dollars) per item. So therefore we are
putting merchants on notice to ensure that they have the correct prices on all
food items and goods, particularly breadbasket food items that are made
available for sale to the public in their stores.
Members of the public that suspect that
they have purchased overpriced food items or suspect that they have been
unfairly taken advantage of can contact our Price Commission Hotline number at 376-1157. Once again that number is 376-1157. Members of our team are on standby ready to assist the
public with their complaints.
2.Hoarding
Another concern of the Price Commission
is hoarding. In accordance with Chapter 339 Price Regulation subsection 5 it is
an offense for a Vendor to withhold an item that can be sold immediately. Let
me give a Scenario: During the hurricane season vendor (a) could sell a can of
tuna immediately but chooses to hold back until vendor (b) has sold out all of his
tuna. Vendor (a) then puts the tuna out to be sold but no other vendor has the
tuna. This is considered hoarding.
The fine for hoarding is $2,500 (two
thousand five hundred dollars) per item. In the past there have been some major
cases involving one or two of the major food stores in the country. We are warning
these food stores that the Price Commission will not stand by and allow the
Bahamian people to be taken advantage of.
3.Family Island Inspections
So far the Price Commission has
conducted price inspections on a number Family Islands including Long Island
and Andros. Very shortly we will be stepping up our inspections on some of the
other Family Islands during surprise visits.
The Commission is fully committed to
paying close attention to the pricing, standard, quality and the shipping and
handling of food items that are on the grocers’ shelves on the Family Islands.
Further, we will be observing the excessive pricing of gasoline on the Family
Islands.
4.
Breadbasket List of Food Items
The Price Commission wishes to advise
the public that it will continue to monitor and ensure the availability,
quality and standards of Breadbasket items. We encourage the public to continue
to familiarize themselves with the list of Breadbasket food items which
includes:
- Butter
- Cheese
- Cooking
Oil
- Corn
Beef
- Evaporated
Milk
- Flour
- Grits
- Margarine
- Mayonnaise
- Rice
- Tomato
Paste
Extended
Breadbasket Items Include:
- Baby
Cereal
- Baby
Food
- Baby
Formula
- Broths
- Canned
Fish
- Condensed
Milk
- Fresh
Milk
- Mustard
- Powdered
Detergents
- Soap
- Soups
Finally as I conclude the Price
Commission would like to thank the Minister of Labour, Senator the Honourable
Dion A. Foulkes for his commitment to protecting the interest of the Bahamian
consumer. Along with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Mr.
Peter Deveaux-Isaacs. I would also like to thank my board members which
include:
- Mr.
Earl Godet
- Ms.
Eulamae Gordon
- Mr.
Huel Robins
- Mr.
Dwight Allen
- Mr.
Freddie Munnings
- Ms.
Carla Bain
- Mrs.
Belinda Wilson
- Ms.
Leona Wilson
- And
Ms. Essel Deleveaux-Spruill
We also wish to thank the public and
members of the media for their on-going support. Thank you ladies and gentlemen
of the press for your attendance here today.
Release: Ministry of Labour press release — Remarks by Chairman of the Price Commission.
Photo Caption: Mr. Daniel Sumner, Chairman of the Price Commission and Labour Consultant in the Ministry of Labour is pictured at center addressing a press conference on Price Gouging at the Department of Labour on Thursday, June 27, 2019. Also pictured at left is Mr. Earl Godet, Deputy Chairman of the Price Commission and at right Mr. Huel Robins, Board member of the Price Commission.