Accra, July 29, GNA - The Ghana Standards Board (GSB) on Tuesday officially opened its accredited metrology laboratories to offer measurement and calibration services in the fields of Mass, Temperature and Pressure.

The accreditation of the laboratories, first of its kind in West Africa, also has a formal international recognition of competence to offer accurate and reliable measurement results, traceability of results to international measurement standards and world-wide acceptance of reports and certificates issued by the laboratories. Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiatives, opened the laboratories and also inaugurated the new Administration Block of GSB. He said GSB could effect real change if it continuously engaged in "progressive soul searching" in order to fully come to terms with new challenges and decisively takes steps to ensure that their leadership as service providers in a highly competitive world was not only maintained but also enhanced.

The accreditation, he said, would bring tremendous benefits to the private sector and improve transparency in trade, industry and service transactions in Ghana and the sub-region. Papa Ankomah said the Ministry was assisting a network of quality management practitioners to carry out outreach programmes in the regions to increase awareness about what could be done to enhance productivity and improve quality management in enterprises producing and marketing products on the domestic market.

He entreated the Board to as a matter of urgency to implement other reforms recommended by the Ministry of Public Sector Reforms in collaboration with Ministry of Trade, which include the establishment of Customer Service Centre, the publishing of Customer Service Charters and provision of change management training for frontline staff. "I am confident that we can take advantage of these new facilities and equipment to make GSB another fitting showcase of timely and efficient public service delivery," he said.

Mr Adu Gyamfi Darkwa, Chief Executive Officer of GSB, said the first phase of the Administration Block cost GH¢680,018 and promised that the second phase would be ready in September. The first phase would allow uninterrupted work on laboratories upgrading and refurbishment for the accreditation programme of chemical science laboratory, assist in solving the problems associated with congestion and overcrowding in the makeshift of administration. Metrology is the science of measurements and is central for all manufacturers, suppliers and customers of goods and services whilst accurate and reliable measurements aim at compliance and quality delivery of goods and services.

He called on businesses, which used weights measures, weighing and measuring instruments, to patronize their services. 29 July 08