Industry Minister Donville Inniss has vowed to launch a formal investigation into allegations that companies are placing ‘Made in Barbados’ labels on products that they have imported.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday after a tour of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Exhibition, more commonly known as BMEX, Mr. Inniss stated that there were times in the past when Customs found items, in particular apparel, that were falsely labelled, and those items were denied entry or were charged the appropriate rate of duty.
His comments come after Executive Director of the Barbados Manufacturers’ Association, Bobbi McKay, raised the issue at the official opening of BMEX 2016 on Friday night, and hinted that some “unscrupulous practices” were occurring on the market where some products were labelled ‘Made in Barbados’, when they were not.
Noting that it was an ongoing matter, Mr. Inniss outlined that his staff at the Department of Commerce would continue to work closely with the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), and Customs in particular.
“Items coming into Barbados and being allowed through our ports of entry are fundamentally the responsibility of the Customs Department but we are certainly working on behalf of local manufacturers….So I have noted the concern by the BMA and certainly by Tuesday we will have our staff formally investigate, and take all actions to ensure all importers stay within the law of Barbados,” he stated.
