The GNBS in collaboration with the Government Electrical Inspectorate and the Competition and Consumers Affairs Commission hosted a Stakeholders’ Electrical forum with importers, distributors and users of electrical fittings and equipment. This event, which was attended by the Hon. Haimraj Rajkumar, Minister of Business, was held to discuss the thirty one (31) new electrical standards that were approved by Cabinet and is now mandatory.
The new electrical standards go into effect from February 1, 2020, and all related electrical products imported after that time will be monitored by Inspectors of the GNBS Product Compliance Department. These products will be released for sale to consumers only when they meet requirements stipulated in the standards.
Electrical Forum
Presentations were done by Mr. Shailendra Rai, Head, Product Compliance Department, Mr. Roland Barclay, Chief Electrical Inspector, Government Electrical Inspectorate, Mrs. Dawn Kush, Director, Guyana Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission, Mr. Keon Howard, Councilor, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Mr. Rowen Willabus, Chairperson, National Electro-technical Committee, GNBS. The Hon. Haimraj Rajkumar, Minister of Business made the feature address in which he emphasized that Government saw the need for these standards to be approved and utilized.
The national standards were developed by the GNBS and approved by the National Standards Council to specify requirements for electrical fittings and equipment used in Guyana. This will reduce the importation of sub-standard electrical products, which often results in damage or fires.