MINISTER within the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Jaipaul Sharma, has praised the new 31 compulsory National Electrical Standards and stressed the need for public sensitisation on this new development.

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) in collaboration with Guyana Electrical Inspectorate (GEI) and the Competition and Consumers Affairs Commission (CCAC), will be engaging in public awareness campaigns on the new compulsory standards.

These standards will regulate and govern the required quality of electrical fittings and equipment imported, sold and used in Guyana, including safety measures for armoured cable, panel boards, knife switches, conduits, tubing and cable fittings, among others.
With many recent fires at residential and commercial buildings being attributed to faulty electrical equipment, the new standards are seen as an important advancement in country.

“This is a significant accomplishment for the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, alike. Fire hazards, death by electrocution and destruction of property, are some of the most common outcomes of a lack of electrical standards,” noted Sharma.

He was at the time speaking at a press conference held on Friday at the MoPI boardroom aimed at sanitising the public of the new standards.

“Before the year 2017, there was only one electrical standard in Guyana, which was the standard for holiday decorative products. There were no other electrical standards being enforced, and as a result, all sorts of inferior quality of electro-domestic appliances, electronic devices and materials for use in electrical installations were allowed into the country, to the detriment of Guyanese and to a wider extent our economy,” he said.
The new standards will be complemented with an awareness campaign and consistent enforcement.

“The National Electrical Code provides practical information and safety guidelines for the performance of electrical work in a safe and effective way. These regulations establish rules on who can, and how to, conduct electrical installations. This was intended to help to ensure that installations are carried out in a safe way that complies with the established national standards, reducing the risk of fires and electrical shock,” said Sharma.

He added, “It is because of this we have launched this awareness campaign to inform Guyanese of the necessity for proper electrical standard as we seek to get the best standard for Guyanese.”

Also present at Friday’s press conference was GEI Chief Inspector, Roland Barclay, who echoed Minister Sharma’s sentiments. Barclay stressed that only electricians certified and licensed should be performing electrical installation works. Unlicensed persons can be fined and imprisoned.

Importers and businesses have up until February 1, 2020, when enforcement begins, to get into compliance. Dealers of the products will be required to be registered with the GNBS and be familiarised on the requirements of the standards.

Head of the Product Compliance Department at GNBS, Shailendra Rai, emphasised that the GNBS will not just be instituting the standards but actively monitoring and enforcing them, continuously to ensure compliance.

Though all electrical products imported after the specified date will be inspected to ensure they meet the new standards, Rai acknowledged that the bureau would face a challenge is assessing just how much non-compliant products are currently on the market.

Rai said the GNBS will be moving to have the list of registered electrical dealers published to better aid consumers in guaranteeing that the products they are purchasing are up to standard.

The senior GNBS official noted however, that when it comes to Guyanese consumers, the issue is not only related to substandard equipment, but improper use of electrical products or hazardous electrical practices such as plugging in successive extension lines into one outlet, which can overload the point.

CCAC Director, Dawn Cush, noted that the commission will also be doing its part to ensure products sold on the markets are safe and will be carrying out investigations and inspections after February 2020.