Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
September 04, 2007 (CUOPM)
The operationalisation of the soon to be implemented consumer price control mechanism was discussed by the St. Kitts and Nevis cabinet on Monday.
Under the policy programme, a number of essential food and non-food items will have their prices regulated so that these products can be more affordable to the wider population, particularly the poor and low income groups.
Minister of State for Information, Sen. the Hon. Nigel Carty said plans to implement the new consumer affairs framework that was approved since May of 2005 were discussed including the hiring of compliance officers.
“The objectives of the framework are to implement consumer protection mechanisms, to promote fair trading, and to make recommendations for the introduction of legislation to support and sustain the process. Specifically, in order to engage in monitoring and compliance matters that will become necessary when the new price control mechanism is operationalised, Cabinet approved the allocation of the necessary financial resources to retain a number Compliance Officers in accordance with the framework,” Carty said in the post Cabinet statement.