Consultation on Antigua and Barbuda Consumer Protection Bill 2025 on February 18

To protect consumers’ interests, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prices and Consumer Affairs Division will hold a public consultation next week on the new Consumer Protection Bill, 2025. It will examine the rules outlined in the Bill to address various consumer protection issues, ranging from the consumer’s right to authorize services, cancel reservation, information in official language, dual pricing, disclosure of price of goods and services, damage resulting from the use of service or goods, conditions of demanding and accepting payment, and others. 

The consultation session will take place at the Parliament Building in St. John’s between 9.30 am and noon on February 18. It will also assess whether additional action, legislative and others, is necessary to ensure fairness between consumers and trade/service providers. 

The Prices and Consumer Affairs division, which comes under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Trade and Barbuda Affairs, seeks to educate, inform, protect and enhance the quality of life for all consumers through a reliable, knowledgeable and supportive staff. To realize its vision, the division provides accurate, reliable and timely information to consumers in Antigua and Barbuda while enforcing an effective consumer protection policy. 

The division also seeks to spread consumer awareness among children at an early age through its Big C Club which was set up in 2018. The popular initiative sees the division having partnerships with institutions across the country by making monthly visits to primary schools and interacting with students on consumer awareness activities. It also provides a digital complaint form on its website for consumers to raise issues.

Division seeks feedback from interested parties

The division is reportedly seeking feedback from interested parties, including consumers, traders, service providers and organisations who are keen to gather more information and knowledge about consumer protection issues. The traders can include shop and storekeepers, supermarkets, hardware stores, construction material suppliers, and others. The service providers can be tour-operators, travel agencies, mechanics, contractors, plumbers and others. 

Aiming to promote the social and economic welfare of consumers by protecting their interests, the legislation would try to set up a consumer market which is fair, efficient and sustainable and act towards the consumers’ benefits. 

It would also try to reduce the disadvantages faced by the consumers in accessing any goods or services. It would also promote fair and ethical business practices and make consumer markets socially, economically and environmentally responsible. 

Protecting consumers from unfair and unjust trade practices; improving their awareness and information; and encouraging informed consumer choice and behaviour would also be among other goals that the Bill would try to meet. 

What people said

Many welcomed the new bill saying it was long overdue and expressed hope that it would protect the consumers from the menace of price gouging, allegedly by the supermarkets. Some were optimistic that the new Bill will see a real enforcement of the law and accountability.