No briefing from consumer task force yet — Premier
A consumer task force set up by former Premier Andrew Fahie several weeks ago to examine issues of rising prices in the BVI has not yet reported to new Premier, Dr Natalio Wheatley.
“I haven’t had a proper briefing on that task force that you (reporter) have mentioned but what I can say to you is that we are working hard to get the Trade Commission up and running,” Dr Wheatley stated at a recent press briefing.
According to the Premier, the steadily escalating fuel prices arising from the Russia/Ukraine conflict have affected everything in the BVI society, especially since the territory is very dependent on shipping to get products into the Virgin Islands.
“We have been dealing with some issues of inflation, of course, the cost of fuel has been through the roof. Of course, persons would’ve noticed increased electricity bills, etcetera because of just the high cost of fuel,” he stated.
The Premier further noted that an aspect of the Trade Commission has to do with consumer affairs, and the legislation for this has already been passed in the House of Assembly several months ago.
He said the legislation has a provision for monitoring things such as price gouging, for instance.
Premier Wheatley also shared that the Business Licensing Act – another priority on the government’s agenda – also plays an important role in helping to set up the Trade Commission and its operations.
The Premier said he would be reporting soon on the set up of the Trade Commission which has the responsibility of a consumer affairs unit as part of its remit.
When pressed about the urgency of the debilitating effect of escalating prices and the task force being able to put things in place to mitigate these in the interim, however, the Premier promised to issue an update from the task force within the next few days.
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Need strike a vote of no confidence against you….you only good for shaking hands check
Slow Wande needs to go. He is an artifact leader ie a carbon print of a 1950s politician when the BVI had only subsistence farming. We need a leader for the 22nd century and he needs to be surrounded by leaders that complement his agenda not what we have now, a bunch of relics and carbon copies all over the place. They all need to go
The last thing we need is this Trade Commission. It is just another level of interfering bureaucracy that improves nothing.
Nor do we need Fat Alberts legacy trade act that gave him the right to reserve any business area he felt like to his relatives and cronies, ganja and casinos for example. It also gave him the power to take over any business he felt like. Mugabie would be proud of him.
Two worst pieces of anti trade and business legislation anywhere ever. Purely aimed at hi jacking investors. You called it rubber duckie!!
just an idea…..but maybe he could ask them to report? He is their boss right? Better still, leave it another few months and hopefully everyone will have forgotten about it…
Why do we need a business licensing act? Why shouldn’t anyone be able to open a legitimate business? Why don’t we adopt survival of the fittest doctrine? Today we practice survival of the closest to elected officials law.
Slow Wande living up to his name. I don’t expect any serious report from he and his fellow politicians who seized control of the territory. He is just a carbon copy of the trash politicians that came before
Another update from this guy who does not know what is going on.
Another dr. ZZZZ in the making.
First you need to find out what they were doing. If they were really working..And when you do get briefed be sure to back check and fact check what you are told…Too long people been been pain for doing nothing. It’s time for it to end. Start focusing on Valu for money.