THE Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) hosted the fifth edition of its National Quality Awards (NQA) on Wednesday evening at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown.

An annual event, the NQA recognises local companies that demonstrate excellence in applying standards and quality systems in the production of goods and delivery of services.

A total of thirty-five awards were presented across various categories, recognising businesses and entrepreneurs for their commitment to standards and quality in Guyana. These included micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, as well as large entities.

The NQA was launched in 2017 and is Guyana’s first quality systems-based awards programme.

It encourages businesses to strive for excellence and enhance their impact both locally and internationally.

The National Quality Awards was strengthened in 2021, with revised award categories and a heightened emphasis on sustainability and safety, reflecting the evolving priorities of the business landscape.

Reflecting, Executive Director of the GNBS, Trevor Bassoo, said in 2017 only 16 companies participated, some of which were represented on Wednesday. This, he said, demonstrates continuous improvement and drive to excellence.

Over the years, participation has increased from 16 to 52 in 2023, and over 100 in 2025. He said that this means that a hundred of Guyana’s enterprises have successfully advanced their internal systems to produce quality goods and services.

As head of the GNBS, Bassoo said the organisation is pleased to see an unheeding surge in businesses and organisations that are quality conscious and committed to providing better

products and services to customers.

The executive director remarked that this progress is reflected in the organisation’s certification programmes, which have been part of the remarkable growth in the past few years.

Delivering the feature address at the evening of celebrations and recognition ceremony, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said award systems like the NQA exist in many countries and have become common after the global expansion of total quality management in the 1980s.

According to the PM, these were introduced because countries recognised that productivity, export readiness and competitiveness improved when firms adopted standardised management systems.

“Pursuing quality, therefore, is a steady, practical effort. It requires businesses to review their processes, strengthen documentation, train staff, and make incremental improvements that build reliability over time,” he said.

Continuing, PM Phillips explained that the National Quality Awards provide an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of companies and highlighted progress across sectors.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues told attendees that their contribution to Guyana’s economy is tremendous.

“We understand the value of the private sector to Guyana’s economy, and in job creation. We thank you for your ingenuity, your innovation, and your steadfast dedication to growing your business and contributing to the growth of our country,” the minister expressed.

As Guyana advances toward national standardisation, the minister pointed out that the GNBS has been actively expanding its work, where this year alone, the agency has developed and adopted 22 new national standards covering items such as salt, ice cream, milk, helmets, and liquid petroleum gas.

Altogether, the GNBS has developed more than 600 standards to date with 11 additional standards currently awaiting approval across various standards, surpassing all of our key performance indicators for 2025, the minister boasted.

She revealed that to support the work of the Bureau, government continues to invest heavily in new facilities and training; the most recent being the GNBS’ newly opened state-of-the-art building, which now houses 26 laboratories. These will allow the Bureau to expand its testing and calibration services.

The awards ceremony featured the presentation of awards to several persons including former President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Ramsay Ali, who received an Honorary Award. Also awarded were several entities including Sterling Products Limited, Guyana Deepwater Inc., Durable Wood Products Inc., Industrial Supply of Guyana, Dunae Trading Company Inc., Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation- Pathology Laboratory, TSV Delights, and Universal Health Care.