A few cents everyday = MILLIONS!

 One of THE most serious small issues for CONsumers in Jamaica that is ignored everyday which is REALLY an issue that is not only a personal annoyance to me but its COSTS us all MILLIONS is..

The habit of Shops, Supermarkets, Wholesales and other places we do business rounding the totals up to the nearest dollar as they have long neglected the process of giving persons their correct change in Jamaica. As most people are just not concerned about the small change, the brown coins or even dollar coins are mostly disregarded as being worthless.

But you don't have to be an Accountant or have a degree in Economics to know that it takes cents to make dollars (Or sense to make dollars as I say!). So let us not be "POUND WISE and penny foolish". Especially now in the midst of a Global Economic crisis and the Covid Pandemic in its second year taking an extra toll on our expenses. 

Also the current system of calculating the cost of goods in Jamaica adding on GCT after the total is also something that leaves way too much room for mistakes to take place, in my opinion. Many aspects of this current system of pricing, at wholesale and retail, the calculating of charges or prices for goods are really obscure. Most often I get the impression that the system was designed blatantly in favor of corruption. Rigging the system to easily allow persons who are skilled in even basic accounting methods to find ways to skim something from the top or bottom or wherever they can find a gap or a loophole in the system. 

Recently I have noticed a few of the smaller supermarkets and one particular Supermarket that prices the goods on the shelves including the GCT already calculated. This makes sense as the Consumers have the right to know how much it is that they are paying for goods and how much they need to have available to pay the bill at the cashier before they reach the cashier. Too many times I have been embarrassed and have seen others also surprised when they receive the final bill after adding GCT. As the Tax really can make a difference to the calculation of the final cost. This is especially difficult for persons who are working with a strict or tight budget. 

For too long now I have been here observing these things but it seems that nobody wants to ask for anything to be updated, upgraded or changed. Especially anything that is related to improving things for consumers in general or the Citizens in Jamaica or even our valuable visitors.