State and non-state agencies responsible for the production of goods exported from Guyana and by extension, for helping to boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings are expected to benefit in the immediate term from the Government Analyst-Food & Drug Department’s (GA-FDD) Inspectorate Division’s newly acquired international accreditation.
“It is a significant accomplishment, not just for us but for Guyana’s status and potentially for the country’s economy,” Cole told Stabroek Business earlier this week, alluding to what is now the international credential of the GA-FDD to use its newly acquired status to vouch for the quality of some categories of goods being exported from Guyana.
The status of International Standard Organization (ISO) 17020 was conferred by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) back in August.
“If you think about the importance of goods being exported from Guyana being able to comfortably clear quality control hurdles necessary for entry into importing countries and what this means not just for our foreign exchange earnings but also for our international earnings then you will have a better understanding of the significance of this achievement,” Cole said. “It puts us in a comfort zone that reflects forward movement, not just in quality control terms but also in terms of our overall development as a country. It is something for Guyana as a country to celebrate,” Cole explained, adding that it is pretty much the same for the GAFDD to be able to offer “verifiable assurances” regarding our imports.
Asked about how the GA-FDD intends to use its new accreditation in terms of its relationships with local manufacturing and exporting agencies Cole said that that the agency was “moving immediately” to notify such agencies of its newly acquired accreditation and invite them to move to take advantage of it.
“It is a question of making the relevant local entities aware of the fact that documents such as licences, certificates, and permits, emanating from the GA-FDD are now fully recognised by the international community since we are now authorised to affix the relevant verifying logos to these documents. I am particularly happy for our local agro-processing industry here, since they have had some issues in the past. We at the GA-FDD look forward to working with agro-processors and other product producers in Guyana to ensure that they are better able to optimize the opportunities that are available on the international market by being assured that what they produce and export is backed by an internationally recognized warranty. Our agro-processors, particularly, are now expected to take full advantage of the GA-FDD’s new accreditation status to grow and expand the industry in both the local and external markets,” Cole added.
