The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Bahamian regulators must collaborate and streamline their efforts to promote standards and quality, the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality’s (BBSQ) director said yesterday, noting that eight national standards had recently been adopted.

Referring to the Brazil meatpacking scandal, Dr Renae Ferguson-Bufford said:  “We really need to learn how to streamline all of our efficiencies with the regulatory bodies; with Customs, with the health  services and the Bureau of Standards.

“We hope in the coming months that all of us can meet at the table and see how we can co-operate and not compete or duplicate our efforts. We have to work together to promote quality.”

Dr Ferguson-Bufford said the Bureau, which is responsible for developing and promoting standards,though not enforcement, “continues to make strides” on reaching out to the public regarding the services it offers.

“We have been moving tremendously towards helping our labs in terms of accreditation, and we have been doing a lot in terms of standards development,” she said.

“We have, in the coming months, announcements on eight national standards recently adopted. We have also fast-tracked about 30 internationals standards.”

The National Standards Bureaux within CARICOM yesterday brought highlights of the 10th European Development Fund’s (EDF) ‘Technical Barriers to Trade’ (TBT) programme, which they have been involved with for the past five years, along with their strategic partners from the Dominican Republic.

Several member states, during a joint video conference, examined some of the successes of the project, particularly in relation to capacity building.