Cabinet to review nominees for Consumer Protection Tribunal

Cabinet is expected on Monday to review the names of the persons nominated to sit on the newly-created Consumer Protection Tribunal.

Commerce Minister Anthony Hylton says a chairman has been identified and all the legal requirements have been put in place for the panel to commence its work once the members get the approval of the Cabinet.

The Tribunal is one several initiatives included in the recently amended Consumer Protection Act of 2012, which was gazetted on January 29 this year and came into effect on February 1.

The tribunal is expected to commence its work by March and will hold hearings into consumer-related disputes at the Consumer Affairs Commission’s (CAC) head office in Kingston as well as the regional offices in Montego Bay and Mandeville.

The amended act also empowers the CAC to investigate reported breaches and institute legal action on behalf of complainants; filing criminal sanctions against entities that fail to issue warranties for merchandise and to ensure that consumers are given more detailed information on the computation of prices.

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