By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE head of the Bahamas Funeral Directors Association has renewed calls for the government to properly regulate the industry, calling it a “shame” that stakeholders are still battling the same longstanding issues with no progress.

Kirsch Ferguson criticised the government’s inaction, saying the lack of oversight has left the industry flooded with people who are not qualified to be in the profession.

He said draft legislation, created nearly seven years ago to give the industry the tools to enforce regulations, was presented to both the former and current administrations, but nothing was done.

“Inland Revenue finds it fitting to grant them a business license without doing due diligence and checking the background of these persons or the validity of what they say they would have had over the years,” he said.

He said recommendations were made to establish a registry to ensure only qualified or certified people work in the industry.

He accused rogue operators of misconduct, citing examples of them approaching hospitals with paperwork to receive bodies for cremation, but then failing to cremate or properly dispose of them.

He added the situation has hurt legitimate businesses and tarnished the industry’s reputation.

“It is affecting us tremendously, because our prices are being undercut,” Mr Ferguson said. “Families are being short changed, and we are feeling the blunt of it. You put us all in one basket and say the funeral homes are doing these things. It's not the funeral homes. This is unqualified persons representing themselves as qualified individuals so that is a major concern for all of us.”

He said stakeholders last raised their concerns in a meeting with the Coroner’s office last year, after being told the office was responsible for regulations.

Since then, however, there has been no progress.

“To this date, we are still in the dark and have no progress in that in that regard,” Mr Ferguson added.

“Unfortunately, and I feel ashamed saying this, as a Bahamian in a country that is governed by law, we cannot have a proper audience or be entertained by the proper authorities to ensure that what were asking for or what we think the Bahamian public deserves is being done.”