World Consumer Rights Day will soon be observed in Guyana, and the occasion should be used as an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers; to demand that those rights are respected and protected, and as a chance to protest against the market abuses and social injustices which undermine those rights. This year’s theme, “Making digital marketplaces fairer,” is appropriate as, according to Consumer International, 40 per cent of the world’s population is currently online.
Digital technology is having a dramatic impact on consumers around the world, creating many new benefits, including better communication, access to information, and greater choice and convenience. While consumers undoubtedly benefit from these technologies, there are questions about how to establish access to the Internet for the many consumers who are not connected; how to improve the quality of services; which online services and products consumers can trust; and what happens to the data they share online.
It is estimated that, by 2020, fifty-two per cent of the world’s population would be online. This means that the number of people accessing the Internet would have grown by a third in just five years. Technology has given many consumers more choices, convenience and information, but important issues remain.
Guyana will join in the observance to mark the occasion, which will bring together more than 200-member organisations in more than 100 countries to champion the rights of consumers everywhere. Undoubtedly, there are important issues to be addressed. For instance, people still are not sure what their rights to redress are when it comes to online sales. What is digital consumer trust? And how can we build it? Over the past year, Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes has been touting the benefits of e-commerce, and encouraging persons from all backgrounds and professions to use the Internet as a way of finding online markets. She believes that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) would deliver the transformation within Guyana, and has noted that enhanced connectivity would facilitate opportunities for business development, research, and education. Certain services at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) are already available online, and the minister has assured that the objective is to place every single public service online, including applications for birth and death certificates; driver’s licences; business compliance certificates; and land, housing, mining, and forestry permits, among others. While it is clear that efforts are underway to give those not yet connected a chance to do so at an affordable cost, the challenge is in ensuring everyone’s data is kept safe and secure, and to help consumers know which services they can trust. Integral to this is consumer protection and empowerment. If Guyana is to progress along the digital trajectory, consumers would, more than ever, be required to give personal information, such as bank account details, credit card details, email addresses, identity details or medical information, when accessing goods and services online. When this information is lost or stolen, the effects can be serious. Consumers therefore need to be aware of their rights, and what actions can be taken. Local consumer protection bodies in Guyana, including the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, the Public Utilities Commission and the Competition and Consumers Affairs Commission, should be lauded for their continued efforts to sensitise the public on their rights, and for dissemination of pertinent information. These entities have also recognised that, in this Digital Age, consumers need to be protected more than ever, and have charged service providers to find secure and reliable ways of utilising data, and to address the challenges by developing strategies that would lead to a trustworthy digital world for all consumers. It is now up to businesses to create more reliable and secure means of conducting business.
