As
part of commemoration marking the 2019 World Standards Day, The Gambia
Standards Bureau last Thursday organized an information sharing session on the
role of the Bureau and the National Quality Infrastructure with National
Assembly Members.
Director
General of the Bureau, Papa Secka said the main objective of the information
sharing session is to share the role of the Bureau, the work they have been
doing, how they have been contributing and what they can share with the NAMs on
areas they can contribute to the national development.
“It
is an opportunity for us to be able to share and extend information that can be
further disseminated in your consequences since you are closer to the local
people who you are serving,” he said.
He
emphasized that NAMs are closer to the local people within the society and that
makes their role important in facilitating their work. “The Bureau has been
established by an Act of parliament that was promulgated that distinguished the
role of NAMs. That means the role they have in influencing the work of the
Bureau cannot be over emphasized,” he lamented.
Mr.
Secka further stated that it is in that context that they are required by the
same Act to disseminate and promote standardization, conformity assessment,
methodology and all the activities that they have been tasked by the Act.
Majority
leader of the National Assembly, Kebba Barrow said Gambia Standards Bureau is
playing an important role in taking care of the health status of Gambian people
and ensuring that all measurement equipment are done in the best way.
He
stressed that one of the most disturbing issue affecting the country is the
problem of aflatoxin in groundnuts, saying it is time that authorities work
with the ministry of agriculture to improve the quality of products,
particularly cash crop.
Hassan
Gaye, director of industries and investment at the ministry of Trade, said his
ministry’s objective are geared towards not only local standards but also
international accepted standards.
“The
ministry of trade will continue to create conducive environment that will
require that all products and services at the conformity are well prepared as
far as international standards are concerned, so that Gambian products can also
be able to compete with international products globally,” he assured.
