Committee Working to Finalise CAC, FTC Merger

The Committee overseeing the merger of the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) and Fair Trading Commission (FTC) is working to finalise the supporting processes over the next six months.

The timeline is in keeping with instructions from Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, who has portfolio responsibility for both agencies.

The merger forms part of the Government’s public-sector transformation programme.

Addressing a virtual quarterly media briefing at the Ministry’s offices in New Kingston on Thursday (February 24), Senator Hill emphasised the need for the “very urgent and swift” amalgamation of the entities.

“If the Ministry is committed to the ease of doing business, [then] we must remove duplications and cut bureaucracy. We want to make sure that we [achieve] the efficiencies [being targeted through] the merger,” he said.

Senator Hill said he is optimistic that the Executive Directors of the CAC and FTC and their teams are committed to the process, “and will work fervently to ensure that the six-month deadline is met”.

“The transformation that government is doing is important. Our team at the Ministry will monitor and will be available to support the process as needed,” he added.

Chairman of the entities, Donovan White, said that the merger committee, which comprises members of the joint board, has done “quite a bit of work” on the transition process, following up on activities carried out by the Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU).

He said the administrative recommendations proposed by the TIU were discussed with the entity and adjusted for implementation.

These include matters relating to staffing, assignment of roles, and recreation of job descriptions.

“We also have to deal with the issues of compensation analysis [and] budgeting from the perspective of gaining the efficiencies that the merger is intended to [achieve],” Mr. White pointed out.

He said that given the directive from the Minister, the mid-2022 timeline for the entities to move into a single building may have to be moved forward.

Mr. White also highlighted the legislative process to be undertaken. He pointed out that the entities operate under separate legislative frameworks – the Consumer Protection Act and the Fair Trading Act.

“Both have nuances that are similar and very different. So, the legal framework for that is being treated at the policy level at the Ministry, and the Merger Committee is waiting to be guided more directly on some of those nuances, as they will change, and then that will be brought forward,” the Chairman pointed out.

“We are managing the two sides of this merger to be able to [meet the six-month deadline],” he added.

Source: JIS