World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) 2017

PRESS RELEASE

WORLD CONSUMER RIGHTS DAY

MARCH 15^TH, 2017

THEME: BUILDING A DIGITAL WORLD CONSUMERS CAN TRUST

Every year on 15^th March the international community celebrates World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD).

WCRD is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers, for demanding that those rights are respected and protected, and for protesting the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them.

The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) is pleased to be playing an integral role this year, in the commemoration of WCRD in The Bahamas.  Our activities will revolve around this year’s theme ‘Building a Digital World Consumers Can Trust’, as determined by Consumers International (CI), the global federation of consumer organizations.

Local activities include exhibitions at the Mall at Marathon here in Nassau, and at the C.A. Smith Building in Freeport, Grand Bahama. The exhibitions are being coordinated by the Consumer Welfare Unit, Ministry of Labour & National Insurance.

The Nassau and Freeport exhibitions will be held from March 14^th – 16th at the Mall at Marathon Food Court and the C.A. Smith Building respectively. The CPC will be a part of both exhibitions.

The Consumer Voice, now in its fourth year, and now also the official publication of the CPC, will also publish its anniversary edition on 15^th March in the Tribune newspaper; it too will speak extensively to this year’s WCRD theme. Whilst consumers undoubtedly benefit from the increased access, choice and convenience that digital technologies deliver, questions remain about how to improve the quality of services, which online services consumers can trust, what happens to the data they share online and what consumers’ rights are in relation to digital products.

A Symposium is also being planned for May 18^th 2017 at the University of The Bahamas to further address these important issues.

The CPC’s mission is to empower consumers and spread awareness about consumer rights, consumer protection and regulations towards building a well-informed community of discerning consumers.

CPC is located in the Teachers & Salaried Workers Credit Union Building, East St. South

P.O. Box SS-6364

Nassau, The Bahamas

Tel: (242) 393-7795 – 7

Toll Free: 1 (866) 251-5404

Fax: (242) 393-7798

Email: info@cpcbahamas.org

Website: www.cpcbahamas.org

Facebook: Consumer Protection Commission Bahamas

Jerome P. Gomez

Chairman

Consumer Protection Commission

10^th March, 2017