Industry Ministry Pursues ISO 9001 Certification, To Institute Excellence Award

In a move to deepen the promotion of quality in the provision of goods and services, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce will be instituting an excellent award and pursuing ISO 9001 certification.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Anthony Hylton, who made the disclosure on Tuesday (November 10), said Jamaica must place increased focus on standards and quality in order to have a competitive advantage in global trade.

“Under the trading rules, to gain access to the markets in the world, you must meet quality and technical standards. We cannot win on price, we have to win on quality,” he pointed out.

He was delivering the opening address at a consultation on the National Quality Policy of Jamaica 2015, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

Minister Hylton informed that as part of the process to achieve ISO 9001 certification management standards will be implemented in the Ministry.

“We have made our case and we insist that quality be a part of what we are about, and we are going for ISO 9001 certification,” he said.

ISO 9001 is well established around the world as an invaluable Quality Management System standard. It is suitable for all sizes and types of organisations in all industries and helps entities to improve management processes to compete locally and/or globally.

As it relates to the excellence award, Minister Hylton said this is another attempt to recognise persons in the public and private sectors, by honouring those who are in pursuit of excellence. “This is a national effort, and we are planning it,” he said.

The National Quality Policy 2015 is a revision of the 2001 policy. It aims to re-engineer, strengthen, upgrade and maintain the National Quality Infrastructure as a vehicle to increase exports and penetrate new markets with high quality goods and services.