GAFSONS Industries Limited has strengthened its commitment to quality manufacturing, with three locally produced products now certified under the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Product Certification Programme and authorised to carry the National Standards Mark.
The company’s latest achievement is the certification of its 1,700-litre rotationally moulded polyethylene water storage tank, making it the first Guyanese company to secure certification for this type of product, according to the GNBS.
The certification was granted last month under the GYS 588:2023 Standard, and comes as the GNBS prepares to observe National Quality Week from October 11 to 17, and World Standards Day on October 14.
Gafsons’ other certified products include its four-inch concrete hollow blocks, certified in June 2019 under the GYS 215:2024 Standard, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes manufactured by its sister company, Plastic Products Limited. The pipes have been certified since 2000 and currently conform to the GYS 107:2021 and GYS 99:2021 Standards.
Deputy Factory Manager Jitendra Mishrah said the company’s adoption of standards has helped strengthen product quality, improve manufacturing processes and build customer confidence in locally produced goods.
He explained that Gafsons Industries, which began operations in 1953 and was incorporated in 1971, had expanded its manufacturing capacity over the decades under the leadership of Executive Chairman Sattaur Gafoor.
Its locally manufactured products include PVC pipes and fittings, polyethylene water storage tanks, shrink wrap, wallboard, silica board and construction buckets. The company is also pursuing new manufacturing projects involving ultraviolet boards and Stone Plastic Composite products.
Mishrah said the company’s growth was driven by a vision to manufacture more goods locally rather than depend exclusively on imports, while creating employment opportunities for Guyanese.
He also highlighted the role of the GNBS in protecting consumers and supporting manufacturers through the application of national standards.
“You can’t have a counterfeit product coming to Guyana, and customers suffer for that,” Mishrah said, explaining that standards help ensure compatibility between products such as pipes and fittings.
He added that the GNBS establishes benchmarks manufacturers must follow to maintain consistent quality and give consumers greater confidence in the products they purchase.
“The Bureau creates a yardstick for the manufacturer to follow. That makes us very stringent in following the standard. Once we follow the standard, that makes the product more qualitative to the customer, and they become very comfortable utilising the product,” he said.
The certification process has prompted improvements in Gafsons’ production and product-identification systems, particularly for its newly certified water storage tank.
Mishrah said the company standardised manufacturing parameters, including the tank’s weight and quality, to meet the applicable requirements. It also updated product labelling to provide customers with information on installation and other relevant manufacturing details.
Similar traceability measures apply to the company’s certified PVC pipes, which carry printed information identifying the applicable GNBS certification, manufacturing date and time, and pipe size. The markings help customers identify products and provide a means of tracing manufacturing details.
Mishrah said maintaining certification requires continuous attention to quality, with manufacturers expected to sustain compliance and improve their processes over time.
“There is a constant effort being made to maintain the standard quality for the customer to get the benefit — we always try to improve,” he said.
Gafsons Industries is also working towards securing certification for additional sizes of its polyethylene water storage tanks and other categories and sizes of PVC pipes. The process may require adjustments to product designs and manufacturing parameters before the products are submitted for assessment.
Mishrah said the company would recommend the GNBS Product Certification Programme to other local manufacturers, noting that wider adoption of standards could contribute to greater consistency in the marketplace and help protect consumers.
The GNBS is encouraging businesses interested in product certification to contact its Certification Services Department for guidance on the relevant standards and application process.
Manufacturers can contact the Bureau on 219-0064-66 or visit www.gnbsgy.org for further information.
