Sixty-eight consumer complaints about unfair trade practices in the construction industry were received by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission in the first quarter of the 2018/2019 financial year.
Speaking at the Construction Industry Council Conference at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission General Manager Operations Senikavika Jiuta says they have not received any complaints against any of the major players in the market.
She says some of the consumer complaints included contractors accepting payments without supplying as ordered.
Jiuta says in some cases the contractors who have already been paid a large sum of money by the consumer would run off without completing the project.
She also highlighted that some people are claiming to be contractors on Facebook pages but they are not licensed.
Other cases included poor workmanship, poor quality of tools or goods used in construction, bogus contractors and false or misleading conduct.
Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission CEO Joel Abraham also highlighted at the Construction Industry Council Conference that currently there is an absence of a regulatory regime that ensures that individuals or business that engage in construction services acquire some sort of professional certification.
He says that is why the only license they check is a business license because the general notion in the market is that anybody who picks up a hammer becomes a builder.
The Construction Industry Council Conference ends later today.
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