In observance of World Standards Day, held annually on October, 14 the St Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) plans for an informative discourse.
According to the SLBS, a series of activities and projects will be rolled out as part of the programme that will also include the launch of the SLBS web store.
At a virtual press briefing, on Thursday, Minister for Commerce Emma Hippolyte acknowledged the department’s input with the promotion of this bold initiative.
“Today, we launch the SLBS web store- a key result of the Commonwealth Network Project. This project, phases one and two …brings the functional collaboration between the British Standards Institute (BSI) and the SLBS to a new level,” Hippolyte stated.
She said, “The SLBS has a clear framework to ensure the completion of our national quality policy, which oversees all aspects of our national quality infrastructure.”
The commerce minister underlined the significance of the SLBS towards the overall national development plan.
“St Lucia’s economy depends directly on revenue from tourism, with some contribution from small scale manufacturing and the construction industry,” added Hippolyte. “With the advent of Covid-19, we are challenged more than ever before with unemployment, productivity and competitiveness.”
The Minister continued, “In order to improve the lives of our people, we must address those challenges head on, and the SLBS is central in this fight and in the achievement of our national development plan.”
She urged the SLBS to play a ‘transformative and developmental’ role, which is critical for the country to achieve its national goals…
“To do this, the SLBS needs to continue to play both a transformative and developmental role. Standards are therefore critical in achieving our national goals, as well as, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals,” noted Hippolyte.
“The development and adoption of standards for the services sector ensures that the bureau remains relevant and positions St Lucia to maximize the opportunities for economic growth and development,” the Minister said.
She explained that the SLBS, currently has over 500 national standards, “which will enable and promote quality goods and services in St Lucia.
“As the national standards body, SLBS represents in a very tangible manner the unique interface between standards and the consumer.”
World Standards Day will place particular focus on the implementation of the UN’s – SDGs, and “the vison for a better world.”