The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has debunked reports that the recently launched Ghana Conformity Assessment Programme (GCAP) which takes effect from 1st October, 2014, seeks to introduce its own pre-shipment inspection rules to impose new fees on importers.

The GSA in a statement issued in Accra said contrary to the misconceptions and fabrications against the GCAP, the Authority, in collaboration with SGS and BIVAC, seeks to enhance its Conformity Assessment Programme designed to ensure that specific products meet the requirements of the Technical Regulations and Standards set in the importing country.

The programme (GCAP) aims at preventing the importation of unsafe, sub-standard and counterfeit goods, protecting the health and safety of consumers as well as the environment ensuring that the importer and the government of Ghana does not pay anything for this service. It will also promote the use of honest trade practices and protect the interests of local producers and facilitate the customs clearance process.

The statement said that the only fees to be charged under the Conformity Assessment Programme such as the Verification and Registration Fees will be charged on the supplier of the product, not the importer. The importer thus bears no charges.

The responsibility of the importers, however, will be to ensure that their suppliers understand the import quality requirements and accompany their consignments with a GSA Certificate of Conformity from one of the authorized GSA Service Providers.

The GCAP is not the same as Pre-shipment Inspection, the statement explained.

Under the pre-shipment inspection, the valuation, classification and quantities of the consignment are done by the pre-shipment companies on behalf of government. The GCAP only requires all imports to conform to its technical regulations and standards.