THE GOVERNMENT of Jamaica has implemented the National Quality Infrastructure Project at a cost of $52 million subsidised by a grant of $38 million provided by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
Speaking at the launch of the Laboratories Association of Jamaica (LAJ), Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, Phillip Paulwell, said under this project, selected laboratories across the island would be assisted in upgrading their systems to international standards.
The Minister disclosed that over the years, the National Commission on Science and Technology had been concerned about the quality of the test results produced by Jamaican laboratories, and as a result has put testing precision on the national agenda.
In 2001, a situational analysis done by the (SIDA), under the National Quality Infrastructure Project found that many local testing laboratories could not prove their competence according to principles defined in the international standards and guidelines. The Technology Minister said that this had "serious implications for Jamaican exporters as business partners abroad do not accept test results issued in reports by bodies that have not sufficiently demonstrated their competence".
"The Government of Jamaica realises therefore," he added, "that laboratories are an important part of the National Quality Infrastructure. We have recognised the need to upgrade in order to conform to international requirements". The Minister noted that good quality lab services helped to nurture commercially viable businesses and support the health, manufacturing and export sectors, and that the technical evidence produced by labs enabled sufficient functioning of regulatory and judicial systems as well as industrial development and continued satisfaction.
He said labs contribute largely to the quality of life in any country and often played a critical role in their development, adding that throughout the developed world, many laboratory associations existed and proved to be the best development route for members.
The LAJ is a sector organisation for laboratories whose main objectives are to further the development of Jamaican labs, supporting its members' interests and putting forward the interests of the sector to public authorities and organisations. The board will facilitate international accreditation for its members, provide a forum for the exchange of views on topics relating to testing, and promote wider interaction within the laboratories community. The Association has a ten-member board, with headquarters located in Kingston.
