Tenesha Thomas, Gleaner WriterChairman of the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), Dr. Omer Thomas, has expressed concern about what he considers the large number of institutions not accredited to meet the requirements of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Dr. Thomas, who is also the executive director of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, was speaking at the second annual general meeting of CROSQ at the Courtleigh Hotel, New Kingston on Wednesday.
lack of accreditation
He said the lack of accreditation could lead to confusion within the regional market
The CROSQ chairman said several organisations, including educational institutions were unaware that, in order to have their goods and services exported throughout the region, they must be accredited.
"We are going to have a lot of confused people who believe that goods and services can be traded without accreditation, and that once they are institutions then their services become automatically accredited," he said.
educational campaign
Dr. Thomas said the organisation would this year host an educational campaign to inform the region about Trans-boundary movement of goods and services.
He said the campaign would also highlight the minimum requirements for trade within the regional market.
According to Dr. Thomas, most of the laboratories within the region are also not accredited and, as such, the results of the goods and services being produced from these tests are inaccurate.
In addition, he said the island's government ministries are unauthorised to accredit goods or services for the regional market.
