Cabinet has approved the drafting of a Barbados National Quality Policy.
This disclosure came from Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerrie Symmonds, in a message to observe World Standards Day 2021, on October 14.
Mr. Symmonds said: “This National Quality Policy, upon implementation, is expected to facilitate Barbados’ access to global markets and enhance the competitiveness of our goods and services; produce and strengthen the capacity of micro, small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs to flourish and succeed in the domestic, intra-regional and extra-regional markets.
“The Policy establishes the institutional framework needed for the implementation of quality initiatives in virtually all segments of the Barbadian society.”
He explained that the deployment of quality as a competitive strategy was expected to result in the continuous improvement of the quality of the island’s goods and services, as well as increased productivity.
The Minister pointed out that this approach would enable Barbados to establish itself well above mere compliance to global trading rules, and to transition to become a globally integrated, competitive trading partner, exploiting numerous opportunities presented.
“The National Quality Policy also serves to defend Barbados’ borders from inferior, hazardous and counterfeit goods,” he noted.
Mr. Symmonds also disclosed that Government was in the process of establishing a Quality Council, which would be responsible for the implementation of the National Quality Policy.
“The country’s Standards Body, namely the Barbados National Standards Institution, will be an integral part of the Quality Council, functioning in the capacity to inform on all international standards, which will be part of the process of developing technical regulations, guided by the Chief Parliamentary Office,” he indicated.
He noted that the Barbados Private Sector and other governmental and non-governmental agencies would be represented on the Quality Council.
Mr. Symmonds gave the assurance that Government would continue to develop policies; review and enhance legislation to offer an extra protective environment to companies and consumers.
He continued: “We are about to proclaim a new piece of legislation in the Barbados landscape, which is at the approval stage with the Attorney General’s Office, namely the Barbados Metrology Act.”
The Act, he pointed out, would be responsible for ensuring that all measurement standards to be used in Barbados were in compliance with international standards and all measuring instruments were “metrologically traceable” to the International System of Units.
The theme of this year’s World Standards Day is: Our Shared Vision for a Better World.