GNBS to begin verification of EV system chargers next year

…to expand “Made in Guyana” criteria to meet export requirements

As electric vehicles (EV) surge in popularity nationwide, the country’s national standards agency is gearing up to verify EV charging systems for compliance with newly adopted standards. This revelation was made on Wednesday evening by Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues, the Minister in charge of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).
“Responding to the growing needs of the economy, in 2026, the GNBS will commence the verification for chargers used to charge electric vehicles,” she stated.
In February 2025, statistics showed that there were over 220 EVs in the country.  The Government has made it attractive for Guyanese to import EVs by making them exempt from taxes. There are currently six publicly accessible EV charging stations across the country. Earlier this year, the Government had secured funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to construct three solar-powered EV charging stations in the capital city. As the national standards body, the GNBS is tasked with ensuring consumers and stakeholders get quality products and services across the country through verification, product inspection, certification and other core services.

Made in Guyana
Meanwhile, Rodrigues disclosed that the GNBS is also gearing up to partner with the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) to improve the value of the ‘Made in Guyana’ mark. “Shortly, the Bureau will be expanding its ‘Made in Guyana’ certification programme to include criteria to meet export requirements through a collaboration with Go-Invest,” she said.
The ‘Made in Guyana’ certification mark was launched in October 2021. It is a registered trademark designed to provide recognition for authentic Guyanese products in both local and international markets. It promotes national competitiveness by certifying products that meet specific criteria, such as the quantity of local raw materials and the number of Guyanese staff employed.
Meanwhile, while stressing the need to strengthen the national quality framework, the Minister highlighted the crucial role of the GNBS across all sectors, including oil and gas. “The Bureau also plays a crucial role in keeping our roads safe through its legal metrology department. All speed cameras across Regions Three and Four have been verified to ensure accurate readings. In the oil and gas sector, the GNBS remains a key partner. Inspectors are stationed on every Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel offshore, where they verify the accuracy of flow meters, oversee the offloading of crude, and collect samples for testing, helping to safeguard Guyana’s interest. GNBS continues to execute its mandate of verifying the accuracy of scales and fuel pumps at gas stations across the country, helping to ensure consumer protection,” the Minister explained. She added that, “I am committed to supporting GNBS in ensuring that the national quality infrastructure continues to be strengthened, to evolve and to support our industries as Guyana accelerates its development. We will continue to champion policies and programmes that empower our small businesses, advance service excellence and prepare our country for broader regional and international markets.”
Already, Minister Rodrigues announced that her Ministry, in collaboration with the GNBS, is developing a National Quality Policy, intended to improve standards across all industries in both the private and public sectors. This publication understands that the policy will include priority areas such as fresh fruits and vegetables, food and agro-processed products, aquaculture and seafood, furniture and forestry products, poultry and livestock, and tourism and hospitality.