CCAC to develop list of qualified contractors for building purposes

In light of a host of complaints received by the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC), the body is now seeking to develop a list of qualified contractors who will be recommended for building contracts.

This was revealed by Consumer Affairs Officer Feyona Austin-Paul during a consultation hosted at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown on Wednesday.
According to the Commission, the value of complaints between 2016 and 2018 increased from $67,000 to $6.5 million, although all were not about building errors.
It is against this backdrop that the Commission is seeking to reduce this high number with the introduction of a Homebuilders Roadmap, which will, among other things, provide a list of qualified contractors for home builders.
Austin-Paul explained, “Our hope is to have a list of competent contractors that we can make available to the public so through our consultations we are hoping to achieve that goal.”
She was keen to note, however, that contractors both big and small, will be included on the list, as long as they meet the basic requirements and are qualified.
In response to questions about what qualifications would be necessary for contractors to be included on the list, Guyana Times was told that consultations on this were currently being rolled out to accurately determine same by relevant agencies.
In explaining the importance of the session, the Consumer Affairs Officer said, “We expect to create a detailed outline of the steps, processes and methods of building or renovating a home to ensure that consumers are aware of the correct legal procedures of the construction process … to ensure that consumers are able to identify qualified contractors and to create a detailed hard copy and a virtual Homeowners Roadmap for consumers which will be placed on the Commission’s website.”
CCAC Director Dawn Cush shared, “The Homebuilders Roadmap is intended to provide consumers with the relevant knowledge when they decide to invest in building a home.”
She added that while consumers have rights, they too must do their homework when given an estimate by contractors so as to ensure they were getting their money’s worth, especially since building a home was a huge investment.
Cush also highlighted that if a person was unsatisfied with the work done by a contractor, it was their right to file a complaint against the builder which would ultimately result in an investigation.
CCAC Chairman Ronald Burch-Smith pointed out that a good start for the Roadmap would be for consumers to know their rights as it related to warranty and keeping receipts.