Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency Attains ISO 9001:2015 Certification

Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce hands over the ISO 9001:2015 Certificate of Conformity to Chief Executive Officer of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), Mr. Andrew Wynter. Looking on is the Resident Representative of the World Bank, Ozan Sevimli. The handover ceremony was held on Wednesday, December 9 at the PICA’s head office, St. Andrew.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Audley Shaw, has lauded the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) on becoming ISO 9001:2015-certified, affirming the Agency’s position as one of the global leaders in border security and identity protection.

“It is welcoming news that so many government entities have embarked on the journey of improving service and product levels. This certification will allow customers to be assured of the commitment to quality and service excellence as the standards outline a framework for continuous improvement on quality and services,” he said.

The Minister was speaking at a certificate handover ceremony at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency, Constant Spring Road, Kingston on Wednesday, December 9.

Mr. Shaw said he was pleased that PICA is the second government agency and first under the Ministry of National Security to become ISO 9001-certified.
He said that the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is keen on improving the quality of the public service, as it has recognized that our local business environment and our global competitiveness are hinged on the quality of service that our public and private sectors provide.

“That was why we revised the National Quality Policy of 2019, which was supported by the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project, which provides the Government’s policy framework to promote the production or delivery of high-quality goods and services in all aspects of national life,” the Minister added.

The Minister stated that with the support of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, through the Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project, the ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard is being implemented in approximately 40 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as a move to change the mindset and approach to quality in Jamaica.

Meanwhile, Minister without Portfolio, Ministry of National Security, Senator the Honourable Matthew Samuda, representing the Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang said that “I am proud of PICA as they have achieved a major milestone. We anticipate great things from the team as we continue to build on this foundation which will propel us towards achieving Vision 2030 and to continue to do our part to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.”

Mr. Samuda said that for the economy to survive and grow, it must be open, adding that because the economy is becoming increasingly open to international trade, we must embrace standards in order to successfully sell our products and services in the market place, local and internationally.

In his remarks, the PICA’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Wynter, said achieving ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification “is a proud moment for the management and staff of PICA”.

“Since its inception in 2007, the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency has paved the way for many firsts, not only in Jamaica but in the Caribbean. This achievement is one of the steps we have taken to demonstrate our commitment to service excellence for our customers while continuing to transform into a world-class organisation,” he further stated.

Mr. Wynter noted that as an Executive Agency, being self-sufficient is one of the objectives and that the certification allows PICA the opportunity to establish a quality management system (QMS) that will lead to increased productivity, new target offerings, enhance current service offerings and ultimately improve the Agency’s viability.

The ISO 9001 Quality Management System is the world’s most popular international standard, and focuses on the quality of goods and services produced by an organisation. Certification to this standard will allow companies to significantly improve their processes, procedures and overall profits.

The certification procedure is undertaken by the National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ), and offers this service in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

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