Twenty-three of thirty-six (36) Guyanese companies that participated in this year’s edition of the Awards were declared winners at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) third National Quality Awards (NQA) Ceremony hosted at Parc Rayne, Lot 1 Rahaman’s Park.

GNBS is a press release stated that all 36 companies participated under the overall categories of Manufacturing, Services, Small Business Manufacturing, Small Business Services and Agro-Processing. There were also specific awards for customer-focus, continuous improvement, and health & safety and environmental initiatives. This is the third such event hosted by GNBS to honour companies which have been implementing standards within their operations to produce quality goods and services. The Biennial NQA ceremony was the highlight of National Quality Week 2021.

The release also informed that this platform was used to launch the ‘Made in Guyana’ Certification Mark and which was unveiled by First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali. The Certification Mark will be used by the GNBS to certify authentic Guyanese products based on the quantity of local raw materials used in their production, and the number of Guyanese staff employed by their establishment, among others. During his address to those gathered at the ceremony, Minister of Natural Resources and Acting Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Vickram Bharrat said the Awards bring the business sector into the spotlight for going the extra mile to meet the requirements of National and International Standards. He added that as the government pushes for local content in the expanding oil and gas sector, companies must strive to produce quality products. “The opportune time is now when we can throw mediocrity out of the window and say we only accept standards and quality,” Minister Bharrat noted.

Also addressing the event was Chairman of the National Standards Council (NSC) Vladim Persaud who highlighted the importance of recognising businesses’ efforts in implementing the requirements of standards across sectors. The release quoted Persaud who encouraged other companies to get on board. “I believe, like in anything else, we need to let those involved know how they are doing, especially when they are doing well... What this does is heighten confidence and encourage others to get on board and become more competitive,” Persaud said. Executive Director (Ag.) of the GNBS, Ramrattie Karan also congratulated the winners of the event and urged that others continue to strive for excellence in their operations towards providing better end products to consumers. President Irfaan Ali who was represented by Minister within the Ministry of Works, Deodat Indar applauded the GNBS for hosting an event that recognises local businesses for their commitment to delivering quality products and services. He also congratulated the participants of the Awards for going the extra mile to ensure quality and customer satisfaction.

“You are the engine of growth in this country,” he told private sector participants, alluding to the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-year report which shows that in the first half of 2021, Guyana recorded a 14.5 percent growth in real GDP. The minister cautioned business owners to not lose sight of quality, especially in the agro-processing sector, as they work to meet increasing demands for products and services resulting from the overall expansion of the economy. GNBS will host the fourth National Quality Awards in 2023, when it is anticipated that many more companies will vie for the awards in more categories. The winners of the NQA were chosen based on the results of Assessment Audits conducted at each entity to determine its level of conformance to the Seven Quality Principles established by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO); and Occupational Safety & Health and Environmental requirements. According to the press release the list of this year’s winners are: