National Assembly introduces new laws for sustainable island state

Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis: The National Assembly of St Kitts and Nevis passed two Bills on October 30, namely- The Consumer Protection Act and Proceeds of Crime Amendment Act, 2023.

Consumer Protection Act, 2023

This modern Consumer Protection Act 2023 gives a system to the Consumer Affairs Department (CAD) of the Ministry of Trade to impose customer/shopper/consumer rights as everybody is a patron of goods and services. 

This Act will work in order to ensure the equitable and ethical operation of the business in the St Kitts and Nevis.

The modern Act initialises a Consumer Protection Board, which will work in favour of the protection of the citizens’ health, life and safety. 

The Board will also look after the complaints from the CAD, such as,

• Foreign language labelling
• Poor quality products
• Damaged goods
• Overpricing
• Unfair terms

They will be monitoring the investigation of those complaints and seek to resolve the disputes between consumers and suppliers where necessary in relation to goods and services.

It is a crucial step towards empowering a sustainable economic environment and shopper-friendly in the Federation.

This modern Act incorporates the principles of safety, accountability and fairness, which are important for building consumer trust and encouraging responsible business practices.

To empower sustainable economic growth, Robust consumer protection legislation is an essential component in the context of a small island state transforming into a Sustainable Island state.

Proceeds of Crime Amendment Act, 2023

This amendment Act enlarges the definition of “tainted property” to permit law enforcement the authority to recover an extensive range of crime-related assets. 

The main Act offers a legal framework for the forfeiture, confiscation and freezing of the proceeds of crime.

This is an essential tool for law enforcement to trick criminals into the financial benefits that they have earned through illegal activities. 

This amendment will act as crucial to the working of prosecutors and investigators who make every effort to hold perpetrators of white-collar crime accountable.