By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
The Retail Grocers Association’s (RGA) president yesterday rejected the Prime Minister’s assertion that The Bahamas is a ‘dumping ground’ for unsafe and inferior goods, and charged: “You can stop it at the border.”
Philip Beneby, responding after Philip Davis KC told the House of Assembly last week that The Bahamas has “been dumped upon by goods that are not healthy to us”, urged him and the Government’s agencies to take action by using their statutory enforcement powers and “ban” such products from entering the country.
Speaking to Tribune Business, he said no such concerns have been brought to the attention of retailers, wholesalers and other importers, many of whom have been been in the industry for decades. And he added that it was not in the interests of the private sector to knowingly ‘dump’ poor quality goods on their customers as they would soon go out of business.
“That’s not my experience,” Mr Beneby told this newspaper, after Mr Davis suggested Bahamian companies are selling imports that the supplier would not be able to offer in their home jurisdiction. “If that is what is happening, why is the Government allowing that to happen? If they know that to be a fact, then they are the ones who should stop it.
“Why don’t they stop it at the border because they collect taxes on them and have been collecting taxes on them. If the other countries can ban items coming out of the US that they think are not fair for their market, or for their people, why can’t The Bahamas do the same thing? The Government has the power to do it.
“The Government, once they have the verifiable facts that items are not good for consumers, are not good for their people, they have the power and authority to ban them. The Government can ban them at the border,” Mr Beneby continued, suggesting that the Prime Minister was seeking to shift blame for the lack of enforcement.
“For the Prime Minister to say that, he’s trying to pass what should be done by them,” he said. “They’re trying to pass it on to the wholesalers, the retailers and other independent importers. They cannot do that; pass that responsibility on to us. The Government has to take responsibility for that.”
Mr Davis singled out products marked ‘for export only’ as indicating they are prohibited from being sold in the exporter’s home jurisdiction. However, Mr Beneby said there is “nothing sinister” about such labelling, as suppliers use this to prevent product from being diverted to another distribution channel without their knowledge.
“I’ve been in the grocery business for a long time and been seeing items come in for ‘export only’, and sometimes that’s because it has a longer shelf life or other varied reasons,” he added. “It’s not by any means for any sinister reason.
“All they [the Government] have to do is investigate it. You cannot simply stop importing an item because of hearsay or misconceptions. You must have the verifiable facts. Of course, the retailers and wholesalers are very careful with imported items that are for everyday consumption and have been importing them for a while.
“I would have to see more evidence of that. I think ‘dumping’ is kind of too strong a word to be used at this juncture. I don’t think The Bahamas is being used as a ‘dumping ground’, not in my view, unless they know something I don’t know. It’s for them to bring it to the attention of the importers,” Mr Beneby continued.
“It’s for the Government to make sure they stay on top of those consumable items and to know the markets they have to pay attention to. The world is now a small marketplace, and we have items - whether it’s consumables or otherwise - coming in from all over. People are importing stuff out of Brazil, importing stuff from the US, importing stuff out of Europe and elsewhere.”
Comments
bcitizen 10 months, 2 weeks ago
In 2017 when Brazil had the huge canned corned beef scandal almost every country in the world including China banned canned corned beef from Brazil for a period of time. The Bahamas government did not ban it and the wholesalers/retailers fully knowing that it was deemed not safe to eat kept stocking it on the shelves. They both are culpable for the food quality being sold in The Bahamas and it is shameful.
ohdrap4 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Actually the brazilian an argetinian corned beef we eat everyday are 'export only' products, btw.
ohdrap4 10 months, 2 weeks ago
They are talking about the sugar tax because the WHO wants imposed.
Trans fats were banned in the US so most of the processed food we get here have the minimum transfat allowed.
However, they do nothing about the meat and chicken in fast food places which the meat content sometimes is a mere 57% ( like chicken nuggets and fish burgers) because they charge a lot of duty on it.
On top of it when the fast food place fries the chicken in the oil heat for large amounts of time, BINGO, the vegetable oil becomes trans fat. lol. We make our own transfat.
Also they dare not talk about potato chips and cereals which are loaded with sugar, preservatives and the insect unmentionables. I see families buy huge bags at the food store.
benniesun 10 months, 2 weeks ago
repost
"...ensure that our foods and drinks are nutritious and are free of illness inducing poisons such as artificial flavors, artificial colors, preservatives, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, desiccants, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), plastic packaging that leech carcinogens into foods (these line tin cans too), fluoride in drinks and toothpaste, soy, canola, imported foods having high mold content (labelled for export only), poisonous (carcinogenic) hair and beauty products, and the worst insidious most addictive offender SUGAR (gets converted directly into fat and suppresses the immune system for hours)...etc... These poisons are slow acting and over time ruin our heath producing the so called dreaded comorbidities and the poisonous sugars and oils cause unmanageable obesity, so a proactive approach is required not a band-aid."
IslandWarrior 10 months, 2 weeks ago
One practical approach to assess the quality of imported goods would involve returning them to their respective senders and observing what items are permitted to reenter the originating countries. It is only logical that items lacking proper labelling and missing essential information, such as expiration dates, should be strictly prohibited. Reflecting on the influx of undesirable products that infiltrate my own household, I am astounded by the extent of the issue. For instance, I have encountered onions that are discoloured and rotten within, shrimp contaminated with the debilitating 'white spot' disease, chicken emitting an unpleasant odour reminiscent of an unclean freezer, and meat that initially appears to be of satisfactory quality on one side, only to reveal an exorbitant amount of fat on the other. Furthermore, the sight of fruits with withered stems shows that they have long surpassed their freshness.
Undoubtedly, it is evident that the food industry has preemptively prepared itself for any potential rejection or return of produce, promptly addressing any issues that arise through swift and unchallenged exchanges. This practice is predominantly driven by the awareness that such matters have become increasingly apparent to the Bahamian public. However, I firmly believe that a more comprehensive solution is needed to address the many problems plaguing our nation, particularly regarding the health and well-being of our citizens.
By assuming control over the importation of food, the government can ensure that stringent quality standards are enforced, promoting the availability of fresh and nutritious produce to the population. Moreover, they can implement comprehensive regulations, mandating transparent labelling practices, accurate expiration dates, and rigorous inspection processes to safeguard consumers' health. Such a move would address the immediate concerns of subpar food items entering the country and lay the foundation for a sustainable and thriving food industry within our borders.
Furthermore, the government's involvement in the food import business can stimulate local agriculture and farming initiatives. By supporting and encouraging domestic food production, we can reduce our reliance on imports and foster a sense of self-sufficiency. This would bolster our food security and contribute to our nation's economic growth and overall well-being.
BMW 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Government control of food imports? Give me a break! A couple government controlled organizations come to mind. B.E.C, Water and Sewerage.
The_Oracle 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I have an issue with stale dated (old) meats being imported, meats that cannot be sold in the U.S. However, be prepared for a major price increase if the Government starts demanding dating from the vendors. soon to be out of date packaged goods are cheaper so they get imported, sometimes already stale. Seconds in produce and Fruit is common. We cannot afford firsts.
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