NCRA To Play Key Role In Boosting Manufacturing

The National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) has a key role to play in enhancing growth in manufacturing by speeding up the process of inspection and monitoring of entities.

This was the word from the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lorice Edwards Brown, who spoke about the mandate of the NCRA in a recent interview with JIS News.

The regulatory division of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) was separated from the agency and transformed into the NCRA, which officially began operations in 2016.

It is responsible for registering processed food establishments, inspecting goods at ports of entry, and monitoring compliance in the local market.

The BSJ will remain focussed on developing standards with the NRCA serving as regulator.

Mrs. Edwards Brown told JIS News that the separation was in keeping with Jamaica’s international obligations and was also based on feedback from local manufacturers.

She noted that “previously, the BSJ would go and carry out inspections and then carry out the enforcement action and this slowed the pace at which the BSJ could help businesses maximise their potential.”

“The call was for us to facilitate our entities better and it would not have served them the best way possible if we are judge and jury in one entity,” she said.

Mrs. Edwards Brown told JIS News that the stakeholders are responding positively to the Authority.

“They told us that we are actually fulfilling their requests so they are happy to see this materialising,” she said.

As a result of the separation, the BSJ will also now be able to offer technical assistance to companies seeking to comply with standards.