…Prashad hails new initiative as evolutionary
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry yesterday partnered with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards to lift standards and quality and to be aware of the importance of regulation in the drive towards competitiveness. The result of this partnership was a half-day seminar at the Grand Coastal Inn, on the East Coast of Demerara, yesterday.
Speaking at the event, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Komal Ramnauth said that so many products are imported into Guyana that the business community has a large influence on the range of choice that customers have in the first place.
“Therefore our own awareness of issues of quality and standards is important. Every successful economy depends on the regulatory authority to ensure that goods and services are of a reliable quality and are safe for consumers,” he said.
He said the GNBS plays this role in Guyana. “It has been set up to facilitate the improvement of products and quality, and to enforce certain standards where necessary. Our goal today is to start a complementary relationship between the business community and the GNBS,” he said.
Ramnauth said the Chamber recognises the importance of being involved as a partner at both the policy and technical levels of standards development. “Today’s workshop is just the beginning of such a partnership. We hope that the business community will become aware of the purpose of the Bureau of Standards, the procedures and the requirements for businesses. We also hope that the Bureau in turn would benefit from our input,” he said.
“Most importantly, we hope that we can discuss a way forward for deepening our collaboration,” he said, adding that the workshop is a part of the Chamber’s broader strategy to improve the overall standards of the commercial sector and enabling environment for business in Guyana.
Acting Executive Director of the GNBS Evadnie Benfield said that she wanted to clear the perception that the agency is there with a big stick and giving people a hard time.
“That’s not so. That was in the past. Way back in the past. And now we have found that persons are beginning to understand more and more about the importance of standards and they are beginning to see the relevance of improving the quality of goods and services,” she said. “Also we want to improve the relationship between the Chamber and its members and its customers, because we have a consumer complaints programme that we operate and from time to time we will get complaints and some of them have to do with the fact that their concerns are not addressed in a timely manner and some businesses’ approach is not customer friendly, but those businesses are in the minority,” she said.
Benfield added that the GNBS has been receiving good support from members of the Chamber. She said  for the Christmas season, businesses should source their goods from quality suppliers. “If you start there, there won’t be many problems for the GNBS,” she said.
She said that the approach of businesses must be customer-friendly, noting that there should not be signs in their stores saying ‘goods not exchangeable,’ or ‘goods not refundable’.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prashad said that only recently he was at the GNBS appreciation ceremony where there are people who worked there for a long time. He mentioned their dedication and said that of all the agencies that he has responsibility for, the GNBS stand out. He said in his days as the President of the Chamber and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, there was a very rocky relationship between the private sector organisations and the GNBS. He said that this relationship has now evolved.
The Minister said that unlike today, the manner in which persons were made to comply with the GNBS’ requirements put distance between the private sector and the agency.
“Today I am so happy to see the GCCI, the GNBS and stakeholders who talk about standards come together. I would like to congratulate Komal Ramnauth and his executives for this initiative, for bringing people together and hosting this workshop. This shows that over the years we have moved from this adversarial position to one in which we can cooperate and collaborate,” he said.
He said that the forum has come at an opportune time when Guyana, like other countries, not only faces challenges from trading blocs, but from influx of goods of questionable quality, hence there must be standards and quality.