The Inter-American Development Mission will today open a three-day meeting aimed at combining government and non-governmental consumer bodies across the Caribbean.

The group, which intends to seek funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to effectively carry out projects relating to consumer affairs, will examine the specific needs of the region and build programmes or projects around those needs.

“I believe our need as a region is to set up a powerful network so we can interact on the web with the other countries,” said Carlton Stewart, head of Jamaica’s National Consumers League. “We would be able to keep in touch with consumer affairs in these other countries. If we have certain information ready on our website, we will be able to act readily to concerns and matters affecting the consumers.”

Groups expected at the meeting include the IDB, Washington; Barbados Consumer Research Association; Consumer Affairs and Business Development, Barbados; Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Commerce, St Lucia; Jamaica’s Consumer Affairs Commission, National Consumers League and the Ministry of Commerce.

Stewart said in his view, between US$500,000 and US$600,000 is needed to properly address consumer matters for the next two years. Part funding is expected from the IDB, while the government of each country is expected to pool in portions.

“What I will be bringing to the table is the need for a single networking of the region where we can readily share and access info as a united body,” said Stewart. “We need to take advantage of the new technology and be able to link with each other on behalf of every consumer.”