The Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said yesterday that people in the region now have access to an electronic platform providing alerts on dangerous non-foods consumer goods on the markets in all 15-member countries.
The Secretariat said that the CARREX Online Electronic Platform and the live public portal can now be accessed via www.carrex.caricom.org
It said registered National Contact Points (NCPs) and their alternates, national authorities and economic operators, will be able to transmit notifications on this IT platform which was developed with assistance under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Economic Integration Programme.
“Through the online platform, consumers and consumer organisations will be able to submit complaints about products that may have caused or have the potential to cause harm to them. The facility can also be used by the public to submit complaints electronically to consumer protection agencies on defective products purchased from suppliers in the Community.”
CARICOM said that the system functions as a general alert and surveillance structure intended to cope with emergency situations. It aims essentially to permit the rapid exchange of information between the member states and the CARICOM Secretariat when the presence of a product which represents a grave and immediate risk to consumers’ health and safety has been detected.
It said that member states are now expected to establish their CARREX National Networks which shall include the CARREX Contact Point and all of the authorities involved in ensuring consumer product safety.
