FTC urges students to put consumer rights at centre of business

Students at Parkinson Memorial School were told that understanding and protecting consumer rights is essential to building successful businesses during a Fair Trading Commission (FTC) workshop that highlighted real-world protections and avenues for redress.

The week-long programme, part of the school’s Business Week and themed All About Business, is designed to provide practical business knowledge while helping students prepare for their CSEC examinations in 2027.

Head of business studies at Parkinson, Brian Parris, stressed the importance of understanding and protecting consumer rights: “What we are having today is a consumer rights workshop, and as we know, the customer is our major stakeholder in business.”

Head of Business at Parkinson Memorial School, Brian Parris. (Photo Credit: Shamar Blunt/Barbados TODAY)

Parris noted that businesses often focus on profits while overlooking the people they serve. He reminded students that consumers have avenues for redress when they are dissatisfied with products or services, just as employees can seek assistance through workplace structures.

Referring to the FTC’s role, he explained that the commission is responsible for protecting consumers in Barbados and ensuring their concerns are addressed.

“They’re called here in Barbados the Fair Trading Commission, and they’re gonna speak to all that are consumer rights, and this is important because you’ll find that businesses can enhance their relationships with customers if they understand the consumer rights that they have to protect and preserve,” Parris said.

“I’m hoping that [today] not only just broadens their eyes to these business concepts but gets them more interested and enthused to take the bar a little higher.”

FTC Director of Consumer Protection, Dava Leslie Ward, told students that the commission remains committed to advocating for consumers and addressing a wide range of complaints.

Director of Consumer Protection at the FTC, Dava Leslie Ward. (Photo Credit: Shamar Blunt/Barbados TODAY)

“There are all issues that we deal with at the Fair Trading Commission, but we deal with it in various ways,” she said.

Using mobile phone data charges as an example, Ward explained how the FTC has worked to secure better protections for consumers.

“How many times have you gone over your data? Did you get a warning before you went over your data? At the commission, that’s one of the things we fought for from a consumer protection perspective and as well from a utility regulation perspective.”

Ward added that the FTC often works directly with service providers to help resolve consumer complaints, describing the commission as an advocate for Barbadians seeking fair treatment.

(SB)