Trade Minister commends GSA for ensuring good standards

Dr Ekow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry, has commended the management of Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for its efforts at ensuring standards on products in the country.

Dr Spio-Garbrah said this during a familiarisation visit to the Authority in Accra on Thursday.

On the Ghana Conformity Assessment Programme, (G-CAP) the Minister urged management to notify the World Trade Organisation on the country’s decision to suspend its implementation till 2015.

He suggested that if it would be possible, GSA should commence the implementation of the programme on a pilot bases with some of the high risk products on the market.

He said the Ghana Revenue Authority and the GSA must able to seize goods that do not conform to the standards of the country, rather than exporting them back.

Mr Kofi Nagetey, Deputy Executive Director for Commercial Service, GSA, making a presentation on the G-CAP, said it aimed at ensuring that specific products imported onto the Ghanaian market met the requirements of the Technical Regulations and Standards set by GSA.

The products must be of the required quality for health and safety of people and also protection of the environment.

He said it was expected to address four main issues: growing consumers’ health, safety and environmental concerns, safe-guarding local products and industry from unfair competition.

He said it was also to reduce the risks of the country becoming the dumping ground for non-conforming products and facilitating customs clearance process.

Mr Nagetey said it was the mandate of the GSA to implement the G-CAP since there was a lot of evidence of sub-standard goods on the market.

He said the benefits of the programme to importers, government and the public include swift clearance of goods at the points of entry; reduce delay in clearing; nonpayment for service by importer and government; enhance trade facilitation; protection of health, safety and the environment, as well as ensuring quality of products.