By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas’ consumer watchdog says its officials found one Bimini merchant with 35 expired items, including some dating from 2021, during recent inspections on the island.

The Consumer Protection Commission said it has now partnered with consumer affairs to increase its presence on the Family Islands and hold Town Hall meetings ahead of the 50 percent VAT rate slash on most food items that is set to take effect on April 1.

Senator Randy Rolle, the Commission’s executive chairman, said the first Town Hall meeting was held in Bimini on Wednesday for business owners while inspections were also carried out on the island. He added that, while inspectors found “minor violations”, business owners were educated on how to comply with the Price Control Act.

“A lot of the providers were not familiar with the schedule and some of the prices that they should be providing. So that’s something consumer affairs is dealing with,” said Mr Rolle.

“There were minor violations as well that they were able to talk to them about, and we have an officer on the island and they’re going to do some follow-up visits. But overall, the effort is to make sure we have as much people as compliant as possible.”

Reno V Smith, chief price inspector for the Northern Bahamas, said all of the price violations found were “within reason” but there was an issue of stores selling expired over-the-counter medicines.

He revealed that one merchant had 35 expired items, some with an expiration date in 2021. Price control violations ranged from overpricing bread basket items by three cents to $1, and merchants were instructed to adjust their prices while inspectors were present, remove expired goods and given a warning.

“The major problem we are finding is expired drugs. That’s our main concern. One store we had to take 35 different drug items off the shelf. Some of them were expired as far back as 2021 so that was our biggest problem,” said Mr Smith.

“We found some people had some pricing issues. Bread basket items were from three cents over-priced to $1 over-priced, but they there were no major concerns. We allowed them to change all prices in our presence.

“Before we left the store, we gave them a warning. We give them two warnings, so when we come back, and they will not know when we are coming back, if we find them in breach again, we’ll give them a second warning, and that’s it. After that prosecutions will begin,” Mr Smith said.

He added that some vendors were unaware they had to obtain a new pricing schedule for bread basket items annually, and explained that while the schedule for the Family Islands is “basically the same” as the one for New Providence, it is adjusted to factor in shipping and transportation costs.

“For Family Islands, we take into consideration shipping and all transportation. We’re finding that some of them are not paying for the price schedule at the beginning of each year. They are required to request the price schedule at the beginning of each year, pay for it in advance, and whenever a price on a particular product changes the Bahamas printing publication department will get them the new price,” said Mr Smith.

“Some of them are falling down on the price schedule. They’re not aware that they should pay for it in advance and that they should have the price schedule visibly displayed in the store, because the consumer should know what they’re selling it for. We need a few of them to be more cognisant of the fact that they are required and mandated by law to have the price schedule visibly displayed of the stores.”