Guyana moves to boost competitiveness with advanced National Quality Policy

The Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Ministry, in collaboration with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), is developing a National Quality Policy, intended to improve standards across all industries in both the private and public sectors.

This was announced by Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues Thursday evening when the GNBS hosted its fifth annual National Quality Awards (NQA).
This year, more than 35 awards were presented across various categories to recognise businesses and entrepreneurs for their commitment to standards and quality in Guyana.
Rodrigues recalled that when the award ceremony was initially introduced, there were only 16 participants, but now, today, there are more than 100 eligible participants.
This, she noted, sends a strong signal that more individuals, organisations and companies are embracing the principles of standards and quality.
The Minister said this progress is laudable, especially at a time when the Government is pursuing greater international collaborations and partnerships that require consistency and high standards.

“These awards reflect more than a personal achievement; they signal our nation’s rising standards in all sectors of the economy. It showcases real, measurable progress on national development priorities aligned with ‘Vision 2030’, which is centred on building a diversified and competitive economy driven by innovation and sustainability,” the Minister expressed.
In this transformation, Minister Rodrigues emphasised that the national standards body plays a key role in supporting industry growth and building global competitiveness by developing and enforcing national standards and expanding metrology, certification, testing and verification services.
In this regard, she announced that a national quality policy is being developed. “The GNBS is working on a national quality policy to formalise stakeholder interactions and strengthen the national quality infrastructure. The policy seeks to ensure products and services meet defined standards and requirements in the public and private sectors,” she explained.
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.
In addition, Minister Rodrigues noted that the GNBS, in collaboration with the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, has developed a national standardisation strategy for 2026-2028, which focuses on economic growth and competitiveness and supports digital transformation.

Enabling environment
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips also delivered remarks at the event, where he underscored the important role of the Government in creating an enabling environment for companies to thrive.
“A business can meet every internal standard but still struggle if the external environment does not support expansion. For this reason, our Government’s policy and business systems must develop in parallel,” the Prime Minister posited, as he detailed some of the initiatives the current administration has embarked upon over the years to support business development.
He also reminded us that next year, the Government will launch its zero-interest development bank, which will further support the development of local companies, particularly small and micro enterprises.
“These measures are all part of the Government’s broader objective to build a diversified economy. Over the next several years, Guyana will continue to support investment in agriculture, manufacturing, services, hospitality, ICT, and other non-oil sectors. A diversified economy is more stable and provides more opportunities for local businesses to grow,” he said.
Prime Minister Phillips also called on all businesses to recognise the positive implications of standards and structured systems in Guyana’s development.
“As Guyana develops, opportunities for suppliers, contractors, and exporters will increase. However, these opportunities will be accessible only to companies that can meet quality and safety requirements. International buyers expect reliability. Regional markets expect compliance with standards. Many countries require certification for entry. Companies that adopt strong internal systems will be better placed to take advantage of these opportunities.”