The Government Analyst Food & Drug Department (GA-FDD) wishes to advise the general public; particularly importers of Cosmetics, Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs and Medical Devices, of the requirement for a valid Free Sale Certificate / Health Certificate to accompany such products when being imported for use or sale on our local market.
Original copies of the Free Sale Certificate or Health Certificate issued by the National Regulatory Authority of the country of origin of the product must be presented to the Department to facilitate importation. This is in keeping with the Laws of Guyana Chapter 34:03, and its supporting Regulations #10 of 1977 which states that:
“Except as provided by the regulations, no article of Cosmetic, Over-the-Counter Drug and Medical Device shall be imported into Guyana unless the article wholly conforms to the Laws of the country in which it was manufactured or produced and is accompanied by a certificate in the prescribed form and manner that the article does not contravene any known requirement of the law of that country and that its sale therein would not constitute a contravention of the law thereof.”
The GA-FDD will be enforcing this requirement with effect from OCTOBER 30, 2020. Submissions to the Department there after that lack the corresponding original Free Sale / Health Certificate necessary,will not be processed or result in entries being refused.
The mandate of the GA-FDD is to protect consumers from unsafe or substandard products. A Free Sale Certificate or Health Certificate gives assurance that the products being imported are produced and /or manufactured under safe and sanitary conditions and aresubjected to a degree of regulatory oversight in the country of origin. This further attests to a standard of safety, purity and efficacyfor use.
Importers are therefore advised to take cognizance of this notice and ensure that cosmetics, medical devices and OTCs are thus accompanied by the requisite documentation by the deadlinestipulated above to avoid any negative repercussions.
For further information kindly contact the department on telephone numbers 222-8857 and 222-8859.