The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) yesterday released its draft consumer protection regulations, which seeks to address contracts and services, customer complaints handling ands billing and credit management.

The regulator will initiate an eight-week consultation period ending on August 2 to gather public feedback on the proposed regulations. URCA plans to conduct community meetings in Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, New Providence and San Salvador to allow persons to share their questions and concerns.

Kathleen Smith, URCA’s chief executive, said the regulator’s decision to develop consumer protection regulations was prompted, in part, by the numerous concerns expressed during the consultation on Cable Bahamas’ basic TV fee increase application, as well as the country-wide Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) blackout last year.

URCA has released for public consultation a 71-page draft consumer protection regulation document that addresses a range of areas, including consumer sales; contracts and services; consumer obligations; advertising; billing and credit management; customer complaints handling; and customer quality and service standards.

“Licencees are governed by certain licence conditions that provide, in a very broad way, an outline as to what they should put in place as it related to consumers. URCA feels that clearly it’s not been adequate at this stage, and that more is needed in light of the complaints and the other issues that have arisen in the sector,” said Stephen Bereaux, URCA’s director of policy and regulation.

“In relation to consumer sales contracts and services, the draft regulation proposes some rules in relation to how service providers should provide information to their consumers before and at the time they are entering into a contract for service.

“It covers things like how they should describe the service, how they should inform you about the price of the service, the contract terms, how you terminate, if there is a deposit, what are the terms they keep it under, how much can it be and when do they have it pay it back.”

Mr Bereaux said the regulations also cover issues such as advertising, product warranties, service disruption and fault repair, billing complaints and service standards.

He added that the regulations also outline the obligations and responsibilities consumers have to their service providers.

URCA said it hopes to establish the framework for ensuring consumers of electronic communications services in the Bahamas benefit from the highest possible standards of service by licensees, and to promote a high level of consumer confidence in service delivery.