Bridgetown Port Urged to Collaborate with Consumer Advocacy Body on Monitoring Price Changes

A consumer advocacy body has declared it wants to work with the Bridgetown Port to act as a watchdog on price changes, after Prime Minister Mia Mottley said that recent reductions in the cost of container-related port charges ought to be passed onto consumers.

However, Maureen Holder, executive director of the Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) which was formed in mid-2022, said the port would have to spearhead any initiative which involves other entities working together to monitor the conduct of the savings being passed on to Barbadians.

She was responding to Prime Minister Mottley who told a nationwide audience on Saturday that the Bridgetown Port, which reduced the charges by 10 per cent in April last year, will shortly cut them again by another 7.5 per cent.

Mottley said she was not satisfied that the full extent of the savings from the reduced charges was being passed on by businesses to consumers.

“Hence, we will invite the consumer protection bodies nationally, along with the Ministry of Commerce, to monitor with a hawk’s eye, the businesses that are passing on these reductions in savings to share with the public,” said the PM. “I am not using a stick, I am using a carrot, and we will help the public learn who are those businesses that have done the right and decent thing and passed on the savings to members of the public. The information will be shared with the public, and then you, the public, will decide where you want to make your purchases.”

But the BCEN’s executive director told Barbados TODAY the prime minister’s statement needs further clarification.

“If there is going to be any collaborative efforts aimed at exposing savings passed onto consumers through any action taken by the port, the Port Authority itself has to be the entity spearheading the initiative,” said Holder. “This means that all points of information and dissemination should originate from the Port.”

She noted that continuous communication helps maintain transparency and builds trust among consumers: “Therefore, it is imperative for the Bridgetown Port Authority to consistently provide updates on the status of the reduced charges/fees and also outline the positive impact on the cost of goods and services.”

Apart from the identification of those businesses that pass on the savings, the BCEN said there must be extensive engagement with the businesses that benefit from the reduced charges to encourage them to publicly disclose information.

“It is likely to be difficult to get certain businesses to disclose information because of [privacy concerns],” said Holder. “However, it may be difficult, but not impossible, because businesses might be able to find ways to work out how to get certain types of information in the public domain. There are various channels available for businesses to use, for example, signage, online platforms, or direct communication at the point of sale.”