Standards driving Ja’s economy

THIS NEW era of technological advancement is one that has taken the innovation of yesterday and improved upon it at such a speed and with such efficiency that we are now more plugged in than ever before. The phrase ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ was first used in 2016 to describe this phase of the Digital Age in which innovations are becoming faster, more efficient and more widely accessible. Technology is also becoming increasingly connected and, in particular, we are seeing a merging of digital, physical and biological realms.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and our own Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) play a vital role in ensuring that innovators are able to have some reference point from which to operate. Standards are the primary criteria used by accreditation bodies to attest to the competence of goods and services. Standards, supported by accredited conformity assessment bodies (CABs), work to ensure compatibility and interoperability so that new technologies can be seamlessly adopted. Standards, therefore, impact a wide range of industries with regard to functionality and consumer health and safety. Without these standards we would have no basis to determine quality. Accreditation, which provides the confidence to our trading partners, would be meaningless, since there would be no criteria against which to assess our laboratories, inspection bodies and certification bodies that provide the results needed by our manufacturers, exporters, regulators and consumers to affirm the quality and safety of products and services.

The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) is thus pleased to

Without these standards we would have no basis to determine quality. Accreditation, which provides the confidence to our trading partners, would be meaningless ... .

join the ISO, IEC, ITU and BSJ in celebrating World Standards Day 2018. Accreditation, standardisation and metrology working in tandem to drive Jamaica’s economy, resulting in improved lives for all its citizens.

JANAAC is committed to playing its role in this regard by continuing to accredit the respective conformity assessment bodies in Jamaica and across the Caribbean. Adherence to standards is a vital element in Jamaica’s National Quality Policy and is essential for the country to achieve its Vision 2030 goals. SHARONMAE SHIRLEY, JP CEO, Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation