The monitoring of products and services in any country is essential to ensure that all consumers get the quality, satisfaction and maximum benefits they need for money spent to acquire these products and services. This can only be achieved if there are established national monitoring mechanisms and systems in place to ensure that goods and services offered to consumers are of a level of quality that satisfies consumers’ needs.
It is in this view that the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) conducts a National Standards Compliance Programme under which twenty categories of imported and locally manufactured products are monitored for compliance to national standards. The objective of this programme is to ensure that consumers are protected from sub-standard commodities which are either produced right here in Guyana or are brought into the country by importers. Commodities currently being monitored by the GNBS include: domestic electrical appliances, tyres (new and used), textiles, garments, footwear, PVC pipes, Scales, Weights & measures, Animal feed, Furniture, Garments, gas stoves, cigarettes, safety matches, safety helmets, fertilizers, electricity and water meters, cellular phones, Christmas Tree and decorative lighting outfits and soap powder. It is important to note that the Bureau of Standards does not monitor commodities such as Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, Medical Devices, Plants and Animals, Meats and Seafoods.
Under the Standards Compliance (product monitoring) programme, stakeholders are required to be registered with GNBS annually, prior to importation and the clearing of commodities. The registration process requires completing the prescribed application form and attaching the Business registration number, along with the registration fee of thirty thousand ($30,000). Upon completion of the process, a registration certificate is issued and the importer/dealer or manufacturer is provided with the list of requirements which must be complied with under the programme. In addition, relevant documents (such as test certificates) verifying the quality of the commodity imported are sometimes requested. If importing for the first time, importers are also required to submit to the Bureau, samples of the items which they intend to offer for sale to consumers to ensure that these products have certification marks, are properly labeled and are suitable for use in Guyana (Electrical appliances especially).
Inspections of the relevant commodities are conducted at the ports of entry, point of sale, at or warehouses. In the case of goods which require storage, it is important that checks be made to ensure that storage surroundings and practices are maintained to avoid the deterioration of the quality of the products imported or manufactured (example, tyres and animal feeds, respectively). Commodities, whether locally manufactured or imported, that are found to be in compliance with their relevant national standards, are released for sale to consumers. This will ensure that quality products are available on the local market for consumers, giving them value for money.
In instances where commodities fail to comply with the requirements, the appropriate actions are taken by the GNBS. These actions could include the seizure of commodity, requesting the relabeling of commodity, submission of the requisite information such as a test certificate from an independent body, to effect the release of the commodity. Sometimes, the commodity is destroyed or the importer may be asked to reship the items to the country of origin. The GNBS under the Standards Compliance programme will continue to monitor the quality of goods that fall under its purview to ensure consumer satisfaction. For further information, please contact the Guyana National Bureau of Standards on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066
