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Consumer Protection – Provided by the GNBS through its services

Mar 07, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – During this month, Consumer Protection Bodies such as the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), the Competition Consumers Affairs Commission (CCAC) and the Department of Consumers Affairs under the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, will collaboratively organize a number of activities as they commemorate World Consumer Rights Day on March 15. These activities will engage and educate consumers across the country on their rights and responsibilities during the purchase and use of goods and services. This year, the occasion will be observed under the theme “Tackling Plastic Pollution.”
Since its establishment in March 1984, the GNBS has been protecting consumers through the services it offers. The GNBS has been at the forefront in the protection of consumers through facilitating the development of standards. The organization also acts to make many of these standards compulsory. Compulsory Standards provide technical requirements, which are enforced by various regulatory agencies including the Bureau, to protect the health and safety of consumers. Labelling standards are prime examples of compulsory standards.
Consumers are also protected through the verification of weighing and measuring devices used in trade such as scales, masses, measures and fuel pumps. Accuracy and fitness for use are established when these devices are verified by the GNBS, and this prevents consumers from being cheated when making purchases.
Meanwhile, through its Product Compliance Programme, the Bureau monitors a number of products including household electrical appliances, cellular phones, gas stoves, electricity metres and tyres to ensure compliance with requirements of National Standards. Substandard products are held for corrective actions, are confiscated or destroyed by the GNBS to prevent distribution to consumers.
The Bureau is gradually expanding its capabilities to offer testing services, which ultimately protect consumers. Testing services offered by the GNBS include the testing of gold jewellery and concrete (hollow) blocks for quality. With quality, consumers get value for money.
To increase consumer confidence, products are certified by the GNBS to National Standards, and the National Standards Mark is affixed, which tells consumers that these products have been inspected and tested, and comply with the requirements set out in the respective standards.
Business support services offered by the GNBS are ultimately intended to protect consumers. These services assist companies to implement management system standards such as the Quality Management System (ISO 9001) and the Food Safety Management Standard (ISO 22000). The implementation of these standards ensures that consumers are satisfied with products and services they procure and allows safe foods to be made available for consumption.
Finally, the GNBS offers protection to consumers through education and information. Utilizing print and electronic media, the Bureau issues timely advisories and warnings concerning defective or unsafe products and services. Other opportunities to share useful consumer information include lectures, workshops, outreach visits to the outlying Regions, and participation in exhibition and trade fairs.

For further information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0062. Please visit our website: www.gnbsgy.org and like our Facebook page: gnbsgy

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