By Baba Sillah
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority [Pura] yesterday commenced the third edition of its public Bantaba outreach programmes.
The outreach programmes are part of Pura’s mandate to sensitise and create affordable products and services to consumers.
Under the theme ‘Consumers Right to Safety, Security and Privacy in the Digital Era,’ officials said the outreach is another opportunity for dialogue between the general public and service providers.
“Bantaba as you may be aware has become synonymous with our advocacy functions, launched some nine years ago. The activity is still ongoing because of the benefits and results it has yielded for rural communities. Although it is inherent on service providers to provide consumers with the necessary information, advice and recommendations in line with their needs,” the director general of Pura, Ansumana Sanneh told journalists at the opening of the event at the regulatory body’s headquarters along the Kairaba Avenue road.
The bantaba outreach programme, he postulated, is one of the mechanisms that Pura uses to create a platform for rural communities to meet their service providers and raise issues and concerns with regard to services provided.
He said Pura through the Consumer Affairs Directorate, devotes significant time and resources to consumer information and education.
“It is in this spirit that we have created the bantaba outreach programmes which also complements Pura’s 148 free consumer helpline. This event will present another opportunity for dialogue between the general public and their service providers with intent to build on previous results and successes from the previous bantaba outreach programmes,” he noted.
