Seven local businesses were recognized for their generous donations and continuous support during the Department of Consumer Affairs World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) Appreciation Ceremony on Tuesday, March 14. The ceremony was held in commemoration of WCRD, which is observed on March 15 annually.
The St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, B&B Backhoe and Trucking Services, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Subway and Elco Ltd were awarded as sterling sponsors, while EK Supermarket in Sandy Point and Rams Supermarket on the Bay Road in Basseterre were awarded as consumer supermarkets 2017.
Vincent Fough, Senior Investigating Officer in the Department of Consumer Affairs, congratulated the businesses and explained that the process of choosing the awardees was done based on the contributions received to assist in the hosting of the department’s week of activities.
“During the week of activities, we sent out letters asking various business places within the community to donate or sponsor an item or something that we can give back to the consumers, because it is a way of bonding between the Consumer Affairs Department and the general public, which we consider as consumers,” said Mr. Fough. So, in order for us to show our appreciation, each year, we select different persons and we give back to them for their donation or sponsorship towards our week of activities.”
The investigating officer said that the businesses play an integral role in the day to day operations of the department, especially during the WCRD week of activities.
“It is important to have businesses involved in our week of activities because customers are the ones who we are protecting, the ones who invest. I used the term invest because customers buy and in order for a business to survive they need customers, they need consumers. So they invest in these business places,” he said. “And our way to show and to bond the relationship between consumers and Consumer Affairs Department and the general public is by reaching out to them and showing them what we are doing and to appreciate the customers coming and patronizing the business places.”
He further explained that the importance of contacting business places to donate or sponsor is the department’s way of saying “here we are again, consumer, business, let us bond. You give us, we give you. We protect each other and in order for us to survive we must walk hand in hand”.
