The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has completed the drafting of a new Metrology Bill which will significantly enhance the organisation’s ability to guide the implementation of an effective measurement system nationally. To ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the content of this draft legislation more public consultations will be conducted countrywide during February and March, 2017.
One of the main objectives of the newly proposed legislation is to ensure that measuring devices such as scales, weights and measures used in trade are verified and accurate thereby giving consumers confidence and satisfaction in the quantities of goods and services they procure on a daily basis.
Parts of the new Bill include and address the sale of goods, weighing and measuring for trade, administration and offences and penalties.
The proposed bill was birthed back in 2010 when funding was made available under the Support for Competitiveness Programme (SCP) to develop a National Standardisation Strategy, which included the establishment of the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) in Guyana. One of the pillars of an effective NQI is Metrology – the science of measurement. Hence, the revision of the 1981 Weights and Measures Act which the new bill will replace began with aim to address the deficiencies of the old Act.
In 2012, the GNBS along with a legal consultant extensively promoted the content of the draft bill in Guyana. Public consultation sessions were conducted in the main regions of Guyana including Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 and stakeholders were informed of the content of document. Participants of these sessions also provided their comments and inputs which were included in the draft bill as necessary. In addition, the general public and key stakeholders including manufacturers, service providers and regulators were encouraged to review the document and submit their comments to the GNBS.
Subsequently, the proposed Metrology Bill was also reviewed by the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) to ensure that it is aligned with recently revised Metrology legislations in the various CARICOM member states, and where necessary, adjustments were made.
To ensure that the general public and all stakeholders, including consumers, vendors and shopkeepers, manufacturers, petrol dealers and distributors, farmers and millers, regulators, ministries and state agencies have a final opportunity to provide inputs to the bill, the GNBS once again provides the opportunity for all to do so. The draft bill can be viewed on the GNBS Website: www.gnbsgy.org and comments/inputs can be submitted to Email: info@gnbsgy.org
