While the 2023-2024 tourist season has just started, the delegated prefect of the Northern Islands, Vincent Berton, recalls that consumer protection and compliance with the rules relating to consumer law and competition law are priorities of the State on Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.
State agents, in particular from the competition, consumption and fraud prevention department, are fully mobilized to inform and support consumers and businesses, as well as to carry out investigations and controls. These controls concern both Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, and all sectors of activity (commerce, catering, tourist services, but also business services, etc.) In the event of infractions, the findings made by the control agents can lead to administrative fines or even criminal consequences.
In Saint-Barthélemy, a control operation carried out last May led to the discovery of shortcomings in more than twenty establishments. Several of them are now affected by administrative fine procedures. Similar checks were also carried out in Saint-Martin.
In this context, Prefect Vincent Berton calls on each professional to respect all legal and regulatory texts applicable to their sector of activity. In addition to the consumer protection for which these texts were designed, the quality of the welcome offered on our two islands is at stake, which is a determining factor in their attractiveness, particularly for tourism. Both visitors and residents must have confidence in the goods and services they purchase. A few establishments visibly unconcerned with respecting the rules must not tarnish, through their behavior, the work carried out on a daily basis by all professionals who respect the laws. This is why, at the dawn of this new tourist season, the prefect announces that control operations will once again be very regularly organized in Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin over the weeks and months to come.
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/reglementation-saison-touristique-des-controles-seront-realises-dans-les-commerces-pour-la-protection-des-consommateurs/
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