Latest update January 7th, 2025 4:10 AM
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Internationally accredited laboratories needed to reduce trade barriers-GNBS
With the absence of an internationally accredited laboratory in Guyana,
Stakeholders at the consultation on international laboratory accreditation.
Caribbean Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) in collaboration with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) yesterday held a consultation with stakeholders to try and make this possible.
This event was held at the Training Room of GNBS Head Office located in the National Exhibition Complex Sophia. The occasion was to promote the strengthening of capabilities of testing laboratories in the Caribbean to reduce technical barriers to trade.
Executive Director (ag) of GNBS, Evadnie Enniss said in a world where goods are being traded worldwide, there is need for standards to be conformed to by accredited laboratories in order to meet international bartering expectations.
Adding that there are two accredited laboratories in the region namely Jamaica and Trinidad, Ms Enniss said it is hoped that Guyana would earn the right to have international laboratory accreditation after a rigorous screening process.
“In order to enter European and North American markets there must be standards, since in the Caribbean the volume of trade is not as high. In order to enter those markets we have to show that our products conform to standards, and that those products are tested at accredited laboratories,” Ms Enniss said.
According to Head of Conformity Assessment, Candelle Walcott-Bostwick, the project will result in one of the Caribbean countries being granted accreditation, including Guyana.
She said the project was started in Barbados on January 20, 2012 where regional exporters played a major part as it relates to testing products.
Adding that the accredited lab will have to serve the entire Caribbean region, Walcott-Bostwick, said such a lab must meet the requirements to have international accreditation.
She noted that the project is set to end in September 2013, while the budget allocated to the programme is US$522,000 and this is to strengthen the regions ability of providing valued testing services for priority exports.
Walcott-Bostwick said the project is at phase one, which is the production of the regional accreditation work programmes which will attract 20 laboratories in the Caribbean that provide service for testing products exported to the Caribbean. These labs are yet to be identified.
She said that group will be broken down into three laboratories which will result in one being accredited. The second stage deals with implementation of the laboratory where training and technical assistance will be done.
She noted that there are over 240,000 registered foreign food facilities that export to America, which account for 15-20 percent of foods from other countries. And since this is a major export market, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rigorous accreditation standards.
She underscored that Governments use test and laboratory data for many purposes such large infrastructure projects; provision of healthcare services; safety of water and electricity supply; manufacturing and commercial purposes; and to monitor the quality of goods and services.
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