The Belize Bureau of Standards is a government department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and New Growth Industries.
The BBS was established on 16th May 1992 under the Standards Act, Chapter 295 and 295s of the Revised Laws of Belize and is recognized as the National Standards Body. Its purpose is to facilitate the development of national standards by promoting the use and harmonization of standards for sustainable production in the trade of goods and services.
At its core, the BBS is the national center for promoting efficiency and competitive production in goods and services, with Quality Infrastructure (QI) serving as the foundation in achieving this objective. The pillars of Standardization, Metrology, Conformity Assessment (sampling, testing, calibration, inspection, certification procedures), and Accreditation combined serve to ensure that goods and services, whether produced domestically or imported, meet established regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the health and safety of consumers and the environment. The Bureau is essentially responsible for protecting, securing, and safeguarding the welfare of the country, a function carried out through the Consumer Protection Unit.
BBS mandate consists primarily of fulfilling its responsibility to implement and enforce the Standards Act and National Metrology Act.
The Standards Act
The Standards Act of 1992 (Chapter 295) provides for the preparation and promotion of standards in relation to goods, services, processes, and practices by the establishment and operation of a Bureau of Standards.
The act can be viewed here: Click Here
The National Metrology Act
The National Metrology Act (Chapter 294) provides for the regulation of weights and measures for automatic and nonautomatic weighing instruments as prescribed by the Imperial and SI Units. It, therefore, has the authority to ensure that all weighing and measuring devices conform to international standards, in this instance, the International Systems of Units (SI) mass, volume, density, length, pressure, time and frequency, etc.
The act can be viewed here: Click Here
The Consumer Protection Unit
In the absence of a comprehensive legislation, the BBS is charged with the overall responsibility of serving as an interface between consumers and regulatory authorities that have a combined and shared responsibility for consumer protection. These include the Public Health Department, Belize Tax Services, Department of Environment (DOE), National Fire Service, Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Belize Police Department, Town and Village Councils etc.
What is the National Quality Infrastructure
The NQI is the system comprising the organizations (public and private) together with the policies, relevant legal and regulatory framework, and practices needed to support and enhance the quality, safety, and environmental soundness of goods, services, and processes.
What is a National Quality Policy?
The National Quality Policy (NQP) is the basic government instrument that sets out the objectives of the Quality Infrastructure system in relation to Metrology, Standardization, Accreditation, and Conformity Assessment to build the foundation for effective trade.
- A national culture of quality.
- A public sector driven by quality in the provision of goods and services.
- An effective and efficient technical regime.
- An economy supported by the National Quality Infrastructure.
- A cohesive efficient, Quality Infrastructure that appropriately and continuously meets the needs of Belize.
- A National Quality Infrastructure that supports sustainable development.
