GNBS expands outreach in Regions 7 and 8 to strengthen standards and compliance

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) conducted a series of consecutive outreach activities across Regions Seven and Eight between 26–29 March and 2–4 April.

The outreaches were held in the townships and surrounding communities of Mahdia, Region Eight and Bartica, Region Seven.
The visiting delegation included GNBS Executive Director Trevor Bassoo, along with Heads of Department for Legal Metrology, Product Compliance, Corporate Communications, and Business Development.
During the visits, the team held meetings with Regional Executive Officers, Mayors, business representatives, and residents.
These stakeholders were very appreciative of the visits, and shared several concerns and needs, such as the need for new National Standards, Training in food safety and other requirements, the reliable supply of measuring instruments, and education on the requirements for the various products monitored by the GNBS.

The development of an action plan to address these needs is being developed.
Meanwhile, several businesses were directly visited to determine the measuring instruments in use and the quality of products offered for sale, which fall under the purview of the GNBS. These businesses included cell phone dealers, furniture dealers, dealers of electrical fittings and equipment, tyre dealers, and gas stations.
The businesses visited were generally in compliance, and were using verified instruments, except for a few who were non-compliant. As a result, their operators were educated on the requirements and were advised to be more intentional in the purchasing of quality items for retail to consumers.
Meanwhile, lecture sessions were conducted for four schools in the Bartica and Mahdia communities: Bartica Secondary, Three Miles Secondary, Mahdia Secondary, and Mahdia Primary.
A total of 137 students and teachers benefited from the sessions, which sought to enlighten young minds about the key functions of the GNBS, the importance of Standards, careers in Standardisation and Metrology, and the importance of using the Metric Units of Measurement.
In fact, before the end of the first half of the year, the Bureau plans to conduct similar visits to more of the outlying regions, including regions 1 and 9.
Apart from directly engaging stakeholders – including those within the regional administration, business owners and consumers – to understand and better serve their needs, outreach visits also provide direct support to GNBS Sub-Offices within the respective regions.

Conducting visits to these outlying communities is a crucial part of GNBS’s annual work programme, as the Bureau continues to decentralise its services to communities away from the coastland.
Notably, within the last five years, the GNBS, with support from the Government of Guyana, has managed to establish additional sub offices in regions One, Three, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight, taking the number of sub offices across the country to 10.
Establishment of these sub offices across the country, has tremendously enabled the access of businesses and consumers to reliable measurement and product monitoring services in their communities.