Globally, consumers encounter unsafe products ranging from children’s toys and household electronics to everyday essentials. As international trade expands and online commerce grows, these products can move more quickly across borders and enter markets at a faster pace. This reality makes consumer protection more important than ever.
Today (Sunday, March 15, 2026), consumer protection organisations around the world observe World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) under the theme “Safe Products, Confident Consumers.” The theme selected by Consumer International highlights the importance of ensuring that products placed on the market meet established safety and quality standards. Noting that unsafe products can result in injury, financial loss, environmental harm and, in severe cases, loss of life, the international body emphasises that addressing these risks requires stronger enforcement, coordinated action across borders, and greater collaboration between governments, businesses and consumer organisations.
In Guyana, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) plays a critical role in ensuring that products sold on the local market are safe and meet required standards. In keeping with this year’s theme, the Bureau works to strengthen consumer confidence through continuous monitoring of products, as well as through testing, certification, verification of measuring instruments and training services.
Through its Product Compliance Programme, GNBS monitors seventeen (17) categories of imported and locally manufactured products to ensure they meet national standards for safety, quality and proper labelling. These products include electrical and electronic appliances, tyres, footwear, electrical equipment and fittings, furniture, gas stoves, cellular phones, gold articles, and other commonly used consumer goods.
During monitoring, GNBS Inspectors examine products to ensure that labels clearly display the certification mark, brand name, country of origin and other important information such as voltage (for electrical items), materials used in manufacturing, and care and usage instructions. Clear and correct labelling helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions and supports their confidence during the purchase and use of products.
Meanwhile, for products which fail to conform to labelling and quality requirements, appropriate enforcement actions are taken by GNBS including seizure, requests for relabelling, or suppliers are required to submit the necessary test certificates to verify the safety and quality of the items before they can enter the marketplace for consumers.
In addition to product monitoring, GNBS provides testing services, including the testing of concrete hollow blocks and gold jewellery. Testing of these construction and consumer products helps to ensure that consumers and businesses alike can have confidence in the products they use.
To further support consumer protection, the GNBS develops, adopts and promotes the use of standards to encourage the production and delivery of quality goods and services. The Bureau also provides training and technical assistance to help businesses implement national and international standards, certifies certain products and services offered to consumers, and verifies the accuracy of measuring instruments used in trade, the health sector and law enforcement. Together, these services strengthen consumer protection and contribute to building public trust in goods and services available in the marketplace.
In observance of World Consumer Rights Day this year, the GNBS is partnering with the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) and the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to host a panel discussion on the National Communications Network (NCN), along with two radio programmes aimed at educating the public about consumer rights and responsibilities. The agencies will also host pop-up exhibitions in Region Three (Vreed-en-Hoop) on Tuesday, March 17; Region Ten (Linden) on Thursday, March 26; and Region Five in April.
Additionally, the CCAC is hosting a jingle competition, with winners expected to be announced before the end of March 2026.
For further information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers 219-0062-66 or WhatsApp 692-4627, or visit the website www.gnbsgy.org.
