NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The President of the Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) says the complaints being leveled against the construction industry are no surprise, as the industry remains unregulated, adding that it is “really vexing” that, after advocating for eight years, the Contractors’ Board has still not been appointed to address the issue.
In a recent statement, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) said it has dedicated November to addressing consumer complaints within the construction industry. The CPC highlighted the rise in consumer complaints for the year, with contractors being among the most reported issues. The Chair of the CPC, Senator Randy Rolle, met with the President of the Bahamas Contractors’ Association, Leonard Sands, to discuss the concerns.
Sands said, “We had a good meeting. We met with them, shared notes, and talked about how we could work together to help educate consumers and contractors. I thought it was a good situation. I just don’t want it to be read as if we are fighting against one another. We are on the same page. We receive just as many complaints as they do. It’s happening because the construction industry is unregulated. People are taking on projects who are not capable, qualified, or skilled. They are taking money from people and causing problems. We’ve been talking about this for years. We have a dossier of complaints of our own. This is not new for the BCA.”
Sands added, “All this could be avoided if the government appointed the Contractors’ Board, which would manage who gets a license, what happens when they fail to comply with the conditions of that license and see the imposition of fines and penalties. All of this isn’t happening because the board is not in place. How long do we have to beat a dead horse? We appoint a board for everything else. It’s really vexing. Until the public cries louder, I want them to cry later. We want the public to understand that the Contractors’ Board will help them—it will help them more than it helps us. The government has yet to meet with us on that issue, although there was a statement to that effect over a month ago. The public needs the protection.”
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