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Head of the Bureau's Information Department Evadnie Fields told Stabroek Business in a recent telephone interview that the GNBS was now in a position to undertake more effective monitoring of imports at ports of entry to ensure compliance with national standards as a result of the implementation of enhanced monitoring mechanisms including closer cooperation with the local Customs Administration.
Fields told Stabroek Business that as a result of improved cooperation be-tween the Bureau and Customs the GNBS was now able to secure advance access to shipping manifests and can move directly to inspect goods at ports of entry. "Because we are now in a position to secure advance information on imports that fall under our purview our inspectors can make timely inspection appearances at the various wharves to conduct inspections," Fields said.
Seasonal imports of toys, decorative lights and electrical items customarily impose more strenuous monitoring responsibilities at ports of entry and Fields told Stabroek Business that the Bureau is particularly alert to possible standards transgressions relating to quality and safety. According to Fields the Bureau now had more than twenty trained inspectors who can move from wharf to wharf based on the advance information received by the GNBS regarding the anticipated arrival of vessels.
Fields told Stabroek Business that while the enhanced vigilance of the Bureau had served to reduce the range of consumer complaints regarding the quality of imported consumer items the number of complaints relating to some categories of goods, including cellular phones remained high. Most consumer complaints regarding cellular phones are related to the belated discovery of used instruments being offered for sale as new ones. Fields said that items like cellular phones presented particular challenges for the GNBS in view of the method of importation. She explained that the Bureau is not afforded the facility of inspecting cellular phones at ports of entry since these were not imported by sea but by various other means. Systems are yet to be put in place for the GNBS to set up a monitoring post at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri and Fields told Stabroek Business that mechanisms for an airport monitoring system are "well advanced."