Author Archives: donovan.saunches

Applications are being invited from private entities interested in conducting coronavirus (COVID-19) tests to participate in the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation’s Pre-Approval Accreditation Programme (JANAAC PAAP). Target groups include private laboratories and point of care testing facilities (doctors’ offices, health centres, pharmacies). Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JANAAC, Sharonmae Shirley, said that the pre-approvalContinue reading “JANAAC Invites Private Labs To Participate In Pre-Approval Programme For COVID Tests”

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce and the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), have moved to roll out an accreditation programme for Jamaica’s laboratories and medical facilities aimed at improving their capabilities to expeditiously test for the (COVID-19), in light of calls by the Ministry of Health and Wellness for greater collaboration andContinue reading “Industry Ministry rolls out accreditation programme for local laboratories & medical facilities”

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), Hon. Dr. Norman Dunn (centre), meets with the Trade Board Limited (TBL) Management team, at the TBL offices, Harbour Street, Kingston on Friday, December 22, 2021. The occasion was a meeting and tour of the TBL offices.

The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) created history Friday (January 15) by awarding its first testing and calibrating laboratory accreditation certificate to the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS). The award validates the SLBS’ technical competence and conformity to the management system requirements of the ISO/IEC 1700254:2017 standards for testing and calibrating laboratories. TheContinue reading “JANAAC Awards First Testing And Calibrating Lab Accreditation To St. Lucia Standards Body”

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, says a national framework for the development of a sustainable standards-led market-driven economy is vital, supported by a culture of high value, to achieve global competitiveness and consumer protection. “This vision will be realised through the achievement of National QualityContinue reading “State Minister Highlights Significance Of National Quality Policy”

Stakeholders in the manufacturing and export sectors are optimistic that the economy will begin to rebound by September and are ready to invest in expanding their output. President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), Richard Pandohie, tells JIS News that more than 40 per cent of the JMEA’s members believe that the economyContinue reading “Manufacturers And Exporters Optimistic About Economic Recovery By September”

The Government is looking to forge stakeholder partnerships aimed at maximizing the potential of Jamaica’s bamboo industry. State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, says discussions are underway with several overseas investors with a view to securing their support to expand the sector. Additionally, he said theContinue reading “Gov’t Pursuing Partnerships To Maximize The Bamboo Industry’s Potential”

Public and private sector stakeholders have hailed the establishment of the Amber HEART Coding Academy as a groundbreaking development that will usher in a new age of digital transformation locally, and enable Jamaica to tap into the global demand for coders. The academy, which was officially launched on January 14 by Prime Minister, the MostContinue reading “Amber Academy Positions Jamaica To Tap Into Global Demand For Coders”

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), Dr. the Honourable Norman Dunn has commended the work done so far by the National Planning Implementation Committee (NPIC) in realizing 23 per cent of its target in its first year of a 5-year programme to implement the MSME and Entrepreneurship Policy 2018. TheContinue reading “Minister Dunn commends NPIC work in developing the MSME Sector”

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Audley Shaw, is urging Jamaica and the region to develop strong quality infrastructures built on metrology, standards and accreditation to improve and confirm the competence of conformity assessment activities performed by public and private sector laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies. The minister noted that with the impactContinue reading “Jamaica and the region must develop strong quality Infrastructures”