By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — A multi-year partnership between the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has transformed Guyana’s national quality and testing ecosystem, delivering major technical upgrades, international laboratory accreditations, and a 230 per cent surge in industrial metrology services between 2019 and 2025.
The achievements were officially presented on Monday at the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) Project Completion Exit Workshop, bringing together senior policymakers, multilateral partners, and private-sector leaders.
Originally approved in 2016 and comprehensively reformulated in 2022, the US$17 million state-building initiative was executed to build the technical foundation necessary to support Guyana’s non-oil economic diversification, equipping local manufacturers, agro-processors, and exporters to certify goods to rigorous global commercial standards.
Modernizing Standards: A 230% Surge in Metrology and Testing
Delivering remarks at the workshop, Executive Director of the GNBS, Trevor Bassoo, framed the project’s conclusion not merely as an administrative milestone, but as a practical turning point for Guyanese industry:
- Direct Economic Utility: Bassoo explained that the NQI project targeted long-standing technical deficits across testing laboratories, verification units, and field inspection divisions.
- Industrial Metrology Expansion: Driven by upgraded calibration rigs and specialized testing facilities, GNBS recorded a 230 per cent increase in industrial metrology services between 2019 and 2025, providing local companies with verifiable volumetric, mass, and dimensional precision.
- Non-Oil Competitiveness: The executive director emphasized that building institutional laboratory capacity is critical to preparing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to compete on quality rather than relying solely on raw production cost.
“We recognise the significance of this occasion through a distinctly practical lens… The NQI is a Government of Guyana initiative… [strengthening] laboratories and inspection teams.”
Global Market Access: ‘Enabling Compliance, Unlocking Trade’
Highlighting the strategic value of national quality systems, IDB Chief of Operations Ivan Gavira underscored that international trade barriers are increasingly technical rather than financial:
- Passport to Global Markets: Gavira noted that recognized testing and certification systems are mandatory for emerging exporters seeking market entry in North America, Europe, and the wider CARICOM single market.
- Supporting Major Infrastructure: Beyond individual commercial exporters, Gavira noted that the enhanced GNBS laboratory facilities now verify compliance for national capital projects, testing construction aggregates, concrete, and industrial inputs to ensure long-term structural safety.
“It enables businesses to demonstrate compliance… [and gain access to]… international markets,” Gavira stated.
Bridging the SME Divide: Over 6,000 Stakeholders Trained
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Permanent Secretary Roger Rogers emphasized that quality infrastructure must not remain the exclusive domain of large multinational corporations:
- Lowering Barriers for Small Business: Rogers pointed out that small-scale manufacturers and agro-processors often struggle to access specialized technical expertise, afford independent calibration, or implement international quality management systems.
- Holistic Quality Culture: The Permanent Secretary urged local enterprises to integrate quality controls across their entire operating lifecycle—from raw material sourcing and product packaging to post-sale customer relations.
- Workforce Up-skilling: The workshop highlighted that through the NQI program, more than 6,000 stakeholders across manufacturing, agribusiness, and technical inspection were trained to use and maintain modern standard operating procedures.
“More than 6,000 stakeholders participated in training… [equipped] with the expertise to use them effectively,” Rogers noted.
Future Trajectory: Standards in Schools and Community Outreach
Looking toward long-term sustainability, the GNBS announced plans to expand its public education campaigns beyond industrial zones:
- Early Childhood & School Outreach: The Bureau intends to introduce quality and metrology curricula into secondary schools and vocational training institutes, teaching students the economic value of metric measurements, standards, and consumer protection from an early age.
- Community-Based Inspections: Expanding decentralized mobile verification teams into rural and hinterland communities to ensure accurate weights, measures, and retail scales for consumers nationwide.
The workshop concluded with a joint call among government ministries, international development partners, and the private sector to build on the $17 million foundation, ensuring that Guyanese goods and services carry globally respected marks of excellence as the nation accelerates its economic transformation.
