Laboratories urged to improve service delivery and marketability – Shaw

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Audley Shaw, is urging all public and private laboratories, and inspection bodies to get their businesses accredited by the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC’s) in order to improve their service delivery and marketability.

He noted that standards and accreditation play an important role in trade facilitation and food safety and, the work of JANAAC is therefore crucial in the national thrust.

“As we seek to transform and modernize business processes, it is absolutely important that we have internationally accepted and accredited systems that enable and promote investor confidence, facilitate trade and engender consumer protection and confidence,” Minister Shaw said.

The Minister was speaking at JANAAC’s World Accreditation Day 2020 virtual commemorative ceremony at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices on June 9, under the theme Accreditation: Improving food safety’.

He lauded the agency for the role that it is playing in providing internationally recognized accreditation and training services to laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies, thereby facilitating international market access while enhancing competiveness and consumer well-being.

The Minister noted that JANAAC holds the distinction of being the only internationally recognized accreditation body in the English-speaking Caribbean.

He added further that accreditation has an important role to play in food safety, by ensuring competent and impartial inspection, certification and testing services in all parts of local, national and international food chains.

“Therefore, as Government, we are committed to guaranteeing the safety of our people.  So, as we consider safe and robust ways to move the economy forward, the advancement of the national accreditation programme must be treated with alacrity,” he added.

The virtual ceremony also included a panel discussion segment with international experts, chaired by the Minister of State in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green.  The discussions explored how local entities can become accredited in order to improve their operations in the food industry. 

JANAAC is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries with responsibility for providing accreditation services to Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), which include public and private sector laboratories, inspection and certification entities.

It plays an important role in facilitating trade between Jamaica and its trading partners, helping to eliminate some technical barriers that have affected manufacturers and exporters for many years.

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