Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
Dr. Omer Thomas (left), executive director of the Jamaica Bureau of Standards and chairman of CARICOM's regional organisation for standards and quality (CROSQ), outines the importance of harmonising regional standards while lamenting technical barriers, which are affecting trade between Jamaica and Latin American countries such as Costa Rica. Looking on are Rev. Canon Winston Thomas (centre) and Ambassador Douglas Saunders, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The three-day gathering is being held at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, New Kingston. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
REPRESENTATIVES FROM several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states are now in the island for a three-day gathering aimed at improving the region's trade competitiveness by developing and improving product and process standards.
The representatives are attending the seventh council meeting and second annual general meeting of CARICOM's Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ).
During the meeting's opening ceremony yesterday, officials including Ambassador Douglas Saunders, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, stressed the importance of ensuring that the regional states set and maintain equal standards.
They also stressed that it was necessary to retool organisations, retrain staff and boost the quality of testing laboratories and monitoring systems in the region.
They said these activities were necessary as world trade markets become more exacting about the standards of goods and services and the region prepares for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
"Infrastructure without harmonisation is like a man of words without action," said Dr. Omer Thomas, CROSQ's chairman and executive director of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ).
TECHNICAL BARRIERS
Apart from harmonising regional standards, the meeting is also to look at technical barriers to trade.
Jamaica, which Dr. Thomas said has been "frustrated" because of problems accessing markets in Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, is again to raise concerns about difficulties it has been experiencing.
The CROSQ chairman said these concerns have been brought before the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT).
CROSQ chief executive officer, Camella Rhone, said more discussions are expected to be held with COPANT as a representative was expected to attend the meeting. During the meeting, CROSQ's council will also look at recommendation from the Technical Management Committee for the spread of new CARICOM regional technical standards and other standards that need to be developed.
The meetings will also cover details on a regional metrology project and a Caribbean accreditation authority to harmonise the region's quality systems.
