Local manufacturers and producers can now apply to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) to use the Made in Guyana Certification Mark. The coveted Mark, which was unveiled by First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali at the National Quality Awards Ceremony in October 2021, is a signature of quality for authentic Guyanese Products. It is now available for use by local businesses.
For years, businesses have been calling for the establishment of a local programme, which provides a mark that differentiates their products based on key quality and other requirements. Supported by its legislation, the GNBS has heeded the call at a time in the economy when businesses are grappling to demonstrate quality and remain competitive. The Standards Act No. 11 of 1984 authorizes the GNBS to use its Made in Guyana Mark on products with set criteria once they comply with the terms and conditions of the Programme.
The Made in Guyana Mark is a registered mark that aims to provide recognition to locally manufactured products on the local and international markets. Through its use, the focus is on creating national competitiveness for authentic Guyanese products certified under the Programme, while also creating and promoting brand recognition and market advantage for participating businesses.
The Certification Programme also provides a framework for the development of quality systems to enhance our local content, pushing Guyanese businesses to the forefront of quality on a national, regional, and international level, at an affordable cost.
The Made in Guyana Programme, which is voluntary, is open to applications from all manufacturers and producers of local products regardless of size or product type. Under the programme, only products meeting the established criteria as outlined by the National Standards Body will be certified to use the Made in Guyana Mark.
In terms of criteria, products will be certified based on the quantity of local raw materials used in their production, and the number of Guyanese staff employed by establishments (at least 70%). It must be noted that while companies are allowed to import 80% of their raw materials, the products must be assembled or processed in Guyana.
To ensure that the requirements of the Made in Guyana Mark Programme are favourable to local businesses, the draft requirements were exposed to a period of public consultations to allow for stakeholders’ input and consensus. These inputs were considered and requirements were finalized.
The new Certification Programme became active at the beginning of January 2022 and local companies can now apply to the GNBS to use the Made in Guyana Mark. The period of certification is one year and surveillances and renewal of assessment will be conducted during the certification period to ensure continued conformance to the established criteria.
The Certification Services Department of the GNBS stands ready to offer the requisite guidance to all sizes of businesses that are considering to apply for this Mark of quality. The application form along with the detailed requirements of the Programme and the process of acquiring the Made in Guyana Certification Mark can be found on the GNBS website https: https://gnbsgy.org/certification/made-in-guyana-certification/
For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0064-66 or WhatsApp: 692-4627.
