The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) on Thursday, October 17, 2019 hosted its second National Quality Awards Ceremony to honour companies, which have been using standards to ensure quality within their operations to produce quality goods and services.
Twenty-one (21) Guyanese companies participated in the 2019 edition of the Awards under the categories of Services, Manufacturing, Small Business Manufacturing, Small Business Services and Agro-Processing. There were also specific awards for customer-focus, continuous improvement, and health and safety.
Among the overall winners were Morning Glory Inc., NAMILCO Inc., Quest Medical Centre, Massy Services Guyana Inc., and Denmor Garments (Manufacturers) Inc. Specific awards were captured by Assuria Insurance, Woodlands Limited Pathology Laboratory, Eureka Medical Laboratories Incorporated, Doobay Medical Centre, and Massy Distributions Guyana Inc. All of the participating companies were given a Certificate of Participation.
Winners 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 Safety and Environmental requirements.
The Biennial NQA ceremony was the highlight of National Quality Week 2019. During the featured address, Minister of Business, Hon. Haimraj Rajkumar, applauded the companies for their sterling performance and conformance to standards. He urged them to continue providing high-quality goods and services to the Guyanese people.
“The hosting of the National Quality Awards by GNBS is a welcome initiative by the government of Guyana, more especially for us at the Ministry of Business. We are happy to recognise those members of our private sector who have demonstrated time and again, commitment to superior quality,” Minister Rajkumar said.
Importantly, all awardees have a track record of demonstrated commitment to maintaining high standards and producing quality goods and services. Meeting the requirements of quality standards was a critical entry requirement to the awards.
GNBS NQA 2019 WINNERS
During his remarks at the NQA ceremony, Rowen Willabus, Vice Chairman of the National Standards Council, explained the importance of celebrating local companies that are ‘up to par’ with the set standards. “For us, quality must exist in every local organisation, every business, big or small, every industry and sector of our country’s economy.”
The Caricom Regional Organisation or Standards and Quality (CROSQ) introduced the National Quality Awards to the GNBS in early 2016, during a Marketing Information, Knowledge Management and Education (MIKE) Committee Meeting. In 2017, the first GNBS NQA was conducted and fifteen (15) companies participated.
The GNBS will host the third National Quality Awards in 2021, when it is anticipated that many more companies will vie for the awards in more categories.
