KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) has been tasked with ensuring that testing facilities that do antigen tests, PCR tests and any other approved testing are published and that these tests are appropriately priced, so that consumers have access to affordable essential medical diagnostic services.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Audley Shaw, made the announcement during a sitting of the House of Representatives on February 2.

He informed that the CAC conducted a recent market survey exercise for Approved Private Sector Laboratories Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Jamaica as at January 26, 2021. The details, he said, will be published in major newspapers later this week.

 In addition, the CAC has taken several actions to protect consumers.

“The agency has increased its market surveillance and public education. The CAC’s market surveillance was increased by 45 per cent during the period of the pandemic. There has also been increased surveillance and surveys of basic food items as a response to concerns about food access, availability and pricing,” Shaw said.

“The agency has also conducted 12 sanitation and hygiene product surveys of masks, hand sanitisers, gloves, disinfectant, antibacterial soaps for the period March to November 2020. These surveys were published in major newspapers,” he added.

Two computer surveys were also conducted regarding the availability and price for the period October to November 2020; heightened public education to report excessive pricing; and the hosting of two virtual meetings with the Distributive Trade to ascertain adequate food supply and capacity during lockdown periods.