Industry Minister Hails Re-Accreditation of NCBJ

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, is hailing the successful re-accreditation of the National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ).

The Minister said the recertification is an affirmation of the quality and competence of the local institution and its staff.

“This achievement by our national certification body will no doubt contribute greatly to increasing the confidence of our public and private sectors, in the local certification body’s ability to assist their efforts to become globally competitive. I congratulate the NCBJ on this achievement,” Mr. Hylton told JIS News.

The re-accreditation of the NCBJ as an internationally recognized Certification Body conforming to ISO/IEC 17021:2011, was granted upon expiration of the organisation’s certificate on November 17, 2014. The international accreditation provider ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), which is based in the United States, accredited the organisation.

Mr. Hylton said the move is a boost to the nation’s efforts to create a logistics centred economy. This will come through application of international standards and the National Quality Infrastructure, of which NCBJ is an important part, the Minister added.

Manager of the NCBJ, Jacqueline Scott-Brown, explained that the re-accreditation of the Unit, an independent arm of the Bureau of Standards, is significant in helping to enhance the competitiveness of local businesses.

“Developing and implementing a National Quality Infrastructure will enable Jamaican enterprises, through accredited management systems certification, to meet the demands of multi-lateral trading systems and provide credible proof that our goods and services conform to international standards,” Mrs. Scott-Brown said.

The NBCJ, which was established in April 2007, received its first accreditation in 2009 to offer ISO 9001 Quality management systems certification in 15 industry scopes, including Agriculture, Food, Paper and Paper Products, Chemicals and Chemical Products, Information Technology, Education, Printing Companies, Concrete and Cement and Engineering services.

Several local companies have already been certified by the NCBJ for ISO 9001 Quality Management System, including National Health Fund (NHF), Corrpak Jamaica Limited, National Council on Technical Vocational and Education Training (NCTVET), the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Ltd., and Transjamaican Highway.

The NCBJ is also an accredited examination centre for the American Society for Quality (ASQ), which offers professional certification in 17 areas.