NCRA Partners With Businesses To Achieve Conformance To Standards

The National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) says its partnership with local businesses to achieve conformance to established standards, will result in increased confidence in Jamaican products.

Speaking with the JIS News, NCRA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lorice Edwards Brown, said the regulatory agency expects its work to increase the marketability of Jamaican products.

“Our mandate is to create confidence in our consumers to ensure that when they are purchasing products that have applicable standards and regulations, they are in compliance,” she explained.

The CEO said one of the main priorities of the NCRA is to monitor and register all pre-packaged-food processing establishments.

“We ensure that the products meet the requirements that enable access to global markets,” Mrs. Edwards Brown said.

In addition, the NCRA is responsible for inspecting goods at ports of entry and to undertake legal metrology (verification of the accuracy of weighing and measuring devices).

According to Mrs Edwards Brown, the legal metrology and petroleum inspectorate of the organisation facilitates greater confidence in Jamaican products.

“When you’re in the supermarket, on the scales you will see a sticker that is telling you that the scale has been verified and that the reading of the weights is accurate. This ensures fairness in trade for the consuming public as pre-packaged goods at retail outlets are checked against standard samples,” she added.

Credit: Rosheika Grant