Minister Supports Consumer Advocacy Policy
Minister of Home Affairs Walter Roban expressed his support for the consumer advocacy policy recently announced by the Regulatory Authority [RA].
A Government spokesperson said, “The public will be aware that the RA shared proposals regarding:
- “automatic compensation to consumers from their broadband and telephone providers for loss of service, missed service appointments and delays to the start of a new service.
- “better handling of complaints for services such as, the supply of fixed and mobile telephone, long distance, internet access, subscription television and electricity.
- “holding sectoral providers responsible to provide honest marketing and advertising, and;
- “ensuring bills are easy to understand.
Minister Roban said, “The Ministry was very encouraged to learn of the RA’s commitment to ensuring the rights of the consumer. In that regard, our Ministry fully supports the Regulatory Authority’s recent proposal to provide additional protections for consumers in the electronic communications sector. It’s important to make sure that consumers have the appropriate safeguards available to them – and that the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders are clear.”
As a related and added note, the Minister shared that in this upcoming fiscal year, a consumer protection bill will be tabled to “address transparency and equitable treatment of consumers who use banking and mortgage services.”
“Other areas where there will be a consumer focus includes the Consumer Affairs Section’s aim to introduce amendments to The Landlord and Tenant Act 1974 and the Rent Increases [Domestic Premises] Control Act 1978 to harmonise the two acts to reflect today’s rental market.
The Minister concluded, “Ensuring protections for the consumer is a priority for this Ministry, so we are pleased to see that the RA is also looking to implement ways to create fairness and equity.”
“To learn more and have your say, please visit www.ra.bm and select the Public Consultations link, or e-mail consultation@ra.bm. As a reminder, the deadline for public feedback is March 20, 2020.”
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