By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

PRICES Commission Chairwoman Syndia Dorsett said her office has embarked on an educational campaign to educate Bahamians on the country’s new list of breadbasket items and its VAT-free status.

Ms Dorsett, in a statement to The Tribune, said the Commission remains committed to ensuring that all consumers are aware of the new list and conversely, not being taken advantage of.

She said officials were sent out to “all supermarkets” to erect signage to show consumers what breadbasket items are, and suggest that they pay for breadbasket items separately to avoid any form of confusion at grocery stores.

Ms Dorsett said that the Prices Commission is quite aware that persons are continuously enquiring about items that are not on the list, and as a result, the Commission is trying to have an extended breadbasket list that they hope will be finished before the end of the year.

“We are looking at healthy lifestyles like the Minister of Health speaks about. We want to add some more nutritious items to the breadbasket list so that at the end of the day you can have a balanced meal. It's up to you to prepare a balanced meal, but it would not be because you can’t afford it. We are doing our best to ensure that it’s affordable and you can choose a healthy lifestyle.”

Ms. Dorsett said the Prices Commission will continue to work hard and continue to ensure that the public gets the best from them.

She also noted that persons with enquiries can always contact the Commission and let them know if there are any infractions that they come across while shopping.

Ms Dorsett concluded: “We have a team and we will continue to work. We are going to every Family Island with the Consumer Protection Commission, the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality along with the Ministry of Health.”

“We will be moving through like a unit to ensure that every aspect of the inspection is properly done. We hope that the public would be pleased at the end of the day with what we are doing and how we are trying our best to ensure that we have a healthy Bahamas and also persons understand what the VAT decrease is all about as it relates to the breadbasket items.”

Additionally, Ms Dorsett also said her team intends to be vigilant throughout the ongoing hurricane season, checking the prices on all items used during storms.

“We have already started going into the supermarkets to check the items that would be used especially during the hurricane season,” Ms Dorsett noted.

“We know what the prices are now and we know what the mark up should be, should they get a new stock in because they would have to show us their invoices so that we would know what the mark up should be.”

Ms Dorsett continued, “But we are going into every store in New Providence and every store in the Family Islands to make sure that they are aware that the Prices Commission knows what is going on and that we do not expect them to defraud the Bahamian people as it relates to increasing the prices of these items, because they would be in demand for the hurricane season.”

According to the statement, the Prices Commission last year encountered several “bad experiences” during hurricane season in which merchants engaged in price gouging, but stopped short of naming any particular store.

“The prices were ridiculous all over the place,” the statement read. “We are going to try our best to make sure that this does not happen this time.”

Ms Dorsett said her team is conducting a “vigorous” inspection and has recruited more persons to aid the Inspectorate Division to ensure the exercise is completed.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis disclosed that undercover agents were posted throughout stores to guard against price gouging.

Dr Minnis insisted the agents were “moving through all of the various different institutions” in search of unsubstantiated price hikes, in the face of the government’s July 1 increase in value added tax.

Dr Minnis suggested consumers had no need to be concerned, stressing that authorities had the issue under control.

The Prices Commission, with oversight from the Consumer Affairs Division in the Department of Labour, now has responsibility for the strict supervision, review and monitoring of the prices being charged for goods.

Additionally, the commission has the authority to report any suspected violations to the Office of the Attorney General which is expected to, in consultation with the director of public prosecutions and the Royal Bahamas Police Force, aggressively investigate and prosecute should such evidence be found.