| Owners and operators of supermarkets must not merely be interested in being in business but rather opt to be a part of a trajectory of development that Guyana has embarked upon in the quest for modernisation.This observation was made recently by Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, as he addressed a Supermarket and Points of Sale Awareness session at the Regency Hotel. The event was organised by the Food and Drug Department of the Ministry of Health with support from the Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce’s Consumers Affairs Department.And according to Minister Ramsammy,Cheap Jerseys Supply, the fact that the Consumers Affairs Department is involved,Authentic Baltimore Ravens Jersey, demonstrates that achieving the goal of safety and high quality cannot be realised just by the Ministry of Health but rather through a collaborative effort.The Minister added that “the better looking buildings, the better looking roads and infrastructure do not necessarily mean modernisation but rather how we do things in the final analysis represent modernisation.”And though supermarkets have developed to some extent over the years, even transforming from the simple grocery stores to modern-day structures,China NFL Jerseys, there is still much more to be done. This transformation,Jerseys From China, the Minister said, is indicative of the fact that Guyana has moved forward.“It may not have moved forward to a level where all of us want it but we cannot deny the fact that our country is better in many respects. The supermarkets represent a good surrogate measure of how our country has developed.”The Minister said that efforts are being made to ensure that the investments in supermarkets are allowed to achieve the goal of providing customers with the highest quality of service.“The highest quality of service means that every time they buy something from you they are guaranteed safety because that is what this is all about. Agencies in our country have laws and regulations to help achieve the goal of safety and high quality…”The Minister revealed that there are persons who are allowed to break the law with impunity. He explained that the people enforcing the laws, even if they are doing so with optimal effects, will not be able to do so in every “nook and cranny” of the country.“The staff we have at Consumer Affairs, the Food and Drug Analyst Department, at the Veterinary Health Department, the Environment Health Unit and the staff at the Ministry of Agriculture, even if they all come together we will not be able, in a single day,Bobby Doerr Jersey, to enforce all the laws in Georgetown alone.”And this state of affairs, he noted, does not only apply to Guyana but also to developed countries, even the United States of America. He added that the law enforcement agency cannot go into every store and shop on every street, thus the way to achieve the desired result is through cooperation from everyone.The Minister further asserted that “when we find offenders our level of tolerance has now reached zero. There will be no flexibility in enforcing the laws of Guyana.”For this reason, the Minister said, that the awareness session, was to persuade the owners and representatives of local supermarkets to embrace the notion of voluntary adherence to the law and inculcate good practices.He noted, too, that although immense focus is normally directed to pharmaceuticals, this is not the only crucial area to be targeted. “It’s about cosmetics, it’s about food and it is about other items we use in our homes every day; they must be safe and they must be of the highest quality every day. How do I, as a consumer, know if a product is safe and is of the highest quality if I don’t know its origin?”The Minister explained that even if supermarkets are clean in their appearance but do not procure goods from a place which does not practice all of the safety measures,Wholesale NHL Jerseys, then they willingly expose customers to danger.“I as a consumer need to know the origin of the goods I purchase. Many of you buy goods and you repackage it, you put it in plastic bags, in containers but the label doesn’t indicate the origin of the goods….”The Minister noted that it is a best practice that the origin of goods must be on the label, even as he stressed the point that many goods have expiration dates and must be taken into careful consideration.According to Director of the Food and Drug Department, Ms Marilyn Collins, the intent is to forge partnerships with the local supermarkets to ensure the products are language appropriate, manufactured and expiry dates are cleared and repackaging is suitable. Collins in fact threw out the challenge for supermarkets to even have their own brands, and if possible, catch the vision of repackaging products that would meet consumers’ need.She predicted further that one day local supermarkets and retailers would come together and be able to set their own standards that would be appropriate to Guyana. |
