Minister Walrond commissions GNBS office at Mahdia

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, MP, on Tuesday, officially commissioned the Guyana National Bureau of Standards’ (GNBS) new sub-office in Potaro- Siparuni (Region Eight).

Located in the township of Mahdia, the office will, among other things, conduct verification of all measuring devices relative to trade, screen the 17 categories of products monitored by the GNBS and calibrate all high accuracy balances used in the gold industry.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond cuts the ribbon to the new GNBS office on Tuesday.

Minister Walrond said the opening of the facility is aligned with the vision of His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, to link Guyana geographically and extend beyond bridging racial divide.

As government, we want to ensure that no one feels less important than a resident of Georgetown. We want you to have the same access as those in the urban parts of the country.

We are doing so by strategically, ensuring that all government services are available in all our regions and therefore all Guyanese will have direct access to the services of the government,” Minister Walrond said.

She underscored that if local businesses are to compete globally, then standards must be enshrined into their operations.

In April, the GNBS hired an inspector from the region, who has undergone extensive training in Georgetown to provide effective service to residents in the district. Minister Walrond believes that the training will yield great results.

“These are the kinds of interventions that the ministry and government will continue to be engaged in to demonstrate that when we talk about Guyana, it is not empty rhetoric. This Mahdia office for the GNBS, represents a significant investment by the Government of Guyana,” Minister Walrond added.

Further, she noted that Potaro- Siparuni has tremendous potential for tourism and business expansion.

Meanwhile, GNBS’ Acting Executive Director, Ramrattie Karan said the vision of the agency is to be the premier national institution for standards and quality. To this end, she stated that it is important to have a physical presence nationwide.

In recent years inspectors of the agency would travel to Region Eight to perform duties. However, due to COVID-19, travelling was restricted. The GNBS also saw an increase of bulk fuel in the region, which required a wider use of measuring devices.

“With support of the Government of Guyana and in collaboration with the Regional Democratic Council, I would like to express my personal gratitude, as well as the team of GNBS, to the regional officials for making this office possible today,” Acting Director Karan said.

Also present at the historic ceremony were Regional Chairman, Headley Pio and Mayor of Mahdia, David Adams. Both officials lauded the government’s move and called for more similar and important government agencies to be established in the town.  

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