GNBS taking firm stance with compliance to standards and regulations

Guyana Chronicle Photo

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards says it will be conducting visits at business places countrywide to ensure that there is compliance with the regulations and standards applicable to the various trade sectors in its efforts to ensure quality products are available to consumers.

Executive Director Candelle Walcott-Bostwick says the entity will continue to work with Government, Industry and Consumers to increase the impact of standardization, Metrology and Conformity Assessment to benefit all stakeholders.

The GNBS would also be pursuing several matters relating to consumer protection, with the first being the Metrology Bill which will replace the existing Weights and Measures Act of 1981.

And according to the Executive Director, this change is necessary to allow Guyana to have a measurement system which is applicable to international standards and to ensure that weighing and measuring instruments used in trade are accurate.

 The Metrology Bill will apply to measuring instruments used in the measurement of mass, length, time, electrical current and temperature among others.

Meantime, Walcott-Bostwick says five public consultations were held countrywide on draft standards, which include Requirements for textiles and garments, bed and breakfast facilities, cell phone dealers, code of practice for water refilling premises, specification for salted fish and dried saltfish.

GNBS is looking also to promote the standards which were approved in 2016 such as specification for footwear, requirements for the transport of petroleum and petroleum products by road tanker wagon, Code of Practice for paintball field operation and paintball player safety briefing.

Walcott-Bostwick said GNBS is willing to collaborate with all interested parties to improve the quality of goods and services available locally and also to have a better life for all Guyana.