Ассоциация подрядчиков Багамских островов стала последней защитой потребителей из-за отсутствия государственного регулятора

The Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) remains the “last line of defense” for consumers against unscrupulous contractors, and is filling a critical gap in construction safety and training, according to BCA President Leonard Sands, who lamented that a contractors board has still not been appointed a decade after being provided for in law. Speaking on Guardian Radio’s Morning Blend talk show yesterday, Sands said the absence of the statutory board has left the construction industry without the regulatory teeth intended to protect consumers and improve standards in a sector responsible for billions of dollars in economic activity. He explained that in the interim, the BCA has taken on functions aimed at providing some protection to the public, including maintaining records of complaints made against contractors. “Until the government decides that it’s important enough to protect the public and protect the built environment, we’re it. We’re the last line of defense,” Sands said. “What people don’t know is we collect a record of all contractors who’ve done something wrong to the public. We have a dossier. We have a file.” Sands said members of the public can approach the association before engaging contractors and the BCA can advise whether complaints have previously been lodged against an individual or company. He added that the association shares information with consumer protection officials, allowing organizations to cross-reference complaints and identify contractors whose names have repeatedly surfaced. “We share our dossier with the Consumer Protection Commission. They cross reference there. So between BCA and the Consumer Protection Commission we have a cross reference of names. And some show up on both,” Sands said. Beyond consumer protection, Sands said the association has also been working to improve safety and professionalism within the construction industry through education and training programs. He contended that the BCA has been forced to take a leading role because the regulatory structure contemplated under existing legislation has not materialized. “There’s nothing right now in the gap,” Sands said. “We are advancing safety in construction. The BCA is advancing education for contractors. Take us out of the equation and there’s nothing. And I stand on that as the president of the contractors association.” Sands suggested that the BCA is prepared to go further and develop its own certification system if the statutory framework continues to languish. “We will create our own certification... if this [contractors board] never comes to fruition,” he said. The BCA has repeatedly pressed successive governments to fully implement the regulatory regime for the construction industry, including the appointment of the contractors board. Sands rejected the suggestion that the association’s continued public pressure amounts to a fight with the government, arguing that it is simply seeking implementation of requirements already contained in law. “When people come at us and say why y’all always fighting the government, it’s because we’re trying to create something in a space that deals with billions of dollars,” he said. “We’re not fighting, we’re actually just asking for what is in the law. That’s it. We’re not asking for anything special.”