The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) says it is partnering with the Ghana Police Service to train standard inspectors to fight against the importation of inferior goods.
Professor Alex Dodoo, the director general of the GSA, said these inspectors will be equipped to check the influx of substandard goods that are in the markets.
Speaking at the 10th edition of the Quality Awards by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Prof Dodoo said this has become necessary with the coming into operation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
“As Standards Authority and also working with all the regulators, FDA, NPA, the first thing to do is to protect local industries by strict enforcement. If we do not protect our local industries, they compete unfairly and that’ll make them die. But our interests and focus are to remove barriers to your business to make your business thrive so that you can take over West Africa.”
“To this end, the standards authority has spoken to the national police and we’re having training for 200 standards inspectors to check the markets and be everywhere so that at the end of the day if others will compete with you, they should compete on quality because substandard goods lower the bar and destroy the market,” he stated.
Partnering manufacturers
Last month, the Ministry of Trade and Industry urged the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to forge a closer partnership with manufacturers and industry players to improve the standard of goods produced in the country.
Michael Okyere Baafi, the deputy minister of Trade and Industry, who made the call, said Ghana could not measure its success or otherwise without an internationally recognized benchmark applicable to all countries, developed or developing.
The deputy minister then pledged the government’s support for the GSA in its effort to commercialize its services to promote standardization and the growth of local industries.
Nicholas Brown
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa, and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
