The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) is responsible for the preparation and promotion of standards in relation to goods, services, processes and practices produced locally.

As part of activities to commemorate World Standards Day, the SLBS organized a workshop to sensitize the media on the role of the SLBS in maintaining and improving the standard of products in Saint Lucia.

“You the members of the press who are gathered here, are one of our most valuable partners in the promotion, advocacy and awareness that has to take place in order to advance the program to improve the quality of life of people through standardization, conformity assessment and metrology,” Virnet St Omer-Fontenelle, Head of Information Services of the SLBS, said.

The topics addressed were the role of standards in facilitating trade, health and safety of consumers and ensuring suppliers meet required standards.

Verne Emmanuel, Director of the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards, said: “We are in a more technical and information driven age where the rate of information transfer is increasing, and we have to be more responsive and adaptive to the increasing demands of international trade, of trade facilitation, and ensuring that the well-being of the public is protected while facilitating vibrant economic development.”

In an address to mark the occasion, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Commerce, Industry, Investment, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs, Bradley Felix, stated that the country will become more dependent on the standards set by SLBS. According to the minister, international standards are a powerful way to ensure safety and minimize risks.

“For example security standards can keep our data safe and deter hackers. International standards provide a platform for ensuring inter-operability, which encourages investment and supports innovation. Moreover, the ongoing work of the International Standard Organization on innovation management will offer tried and tested frameworks that will help organizations unleash their innovative potential,” he said.

The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards is charged with managing and promoting the use of international standards to help Saint Lucia seize the opportunities that the technological revolution creates.