Businesses in Guyana will now have the opportunity to vie to be the dubbed the best in quality products and services in the country.
That’s because the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) recently launched a National Quality Awards Programme, with the sole aim of recognising businesses that have “demonstrated commitment towards Quality by implementing recognised standards and best practices”. This will be based on a comprehensive assessment using pre-established criteria under the Quality Awards Scheme.
With this launch, the bureau, which is the main agency for the development of quality infrastructure in the country, is hoping to promote a quality of culture in Guyana; enhance business efficiency and effectiveness through usage of recognised quality services; strengthen stakeholder engagement with the bureau; create public awareness on the importance of quality in goods and services and increasing the production of such quality while increasing regional and international competitiveness among businesses.
Executive Director of the Bureau, Mrs. Candelle Walcott-Bostwick told the audience, including the business sector, “At the GNBS, and also through CROSQ (CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards & Quality), it is an initiative to recognise businesses and also to encourage our local businesses to embrace standards and quality.”
She added: “Moreso, when we look at ensuring that our businesses are competitive, having Quality Awards will allow those businesses to look at their operation in terms of standardisation and how they can become competitive. Most times our businesses may leave issues of standardisation as a last resort or if it is a demand for an export market . . . but in addition to meeting those certification requirements, we would like our businesses to have it as part of their philosophy of operation.”
CROSQ CEO, Mr. Deryck Omar commented on the timing of the launch of this Awards scheme, which was an initiative under the European Union’s 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Programme.
“It is perhaps also fortuitous that this launch comes at a time when were are not just building a regional quality infrastructure, but looking to put structures and policy in place to ensure its sustainability. As such, over the past years, CROSQ and our partners in the 10th EDF-TBT Programme have embarked on a journey to creating a Regional Quality Policy that gives context to today’s devleopments.
“This policy that I speak of, has at its heart, a focus on creating the kind of culture in the region that incorporates thoughts of quality into everything we do. It is intended to promote higher levels of productivity, innovation, export competitiveness and consumer health and environmental protection through improved quality of products and services and the development of an internationally recognised, demand-oriented, quality infrastructure – all within the context of various trade agreements,” said Mr. Omar.
Head of the Guyana Quality Awards Team, Mr. Lloyd David explained that the QA Programme for the country would look at the manufacturing and services sectors and was aimed at enhancing quality and competitiveness of local goods and services; allowing businesses to compete on quality; encouraging businesses to adopt principles of continuous improvement; heightening consumer confidence in products and services produced locally, and creating a platform for businesses to evaluate and improve businesses on quality platforms.
