The Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Prof. George Agyei, has raised concerns about the agency’s severe understaffing and lack of decentralised infrastructure, warning that the situation is affecting its ability to effectively carry out its regulatory mandate.
Addressing the Parliamentary Select Committee on Industry, Trade and Tourism in Accra, Prof. Agyei revealed that the Authority operates with only about 1,000 staff nationwide and has neither district offices nor regional laboratories across Ghana’s 16 regions.
As a result, all product testing, inspection, certification, and conformity assessment activities must be conducted at the Authority’s sole laboratory facility located in Shiashie, Accra. This means manufacturers, exporters, farmers, and processors from all parts of the country are required to transport product samples to the capital for certification before they can be sold locally or exported.
According to him, the centralisation of services creates significant delays, increases costs for businesses, and limits the Authority’s ability to expand oversight and regulatory activities nationwide.
Prof. Agyei further noted that the lack of personnel at many major land border posts has made it difficult to effectively monitor and prevent the entry of substandard products into the country. He warned that this has contributed to the growing presence of poor-quality and potentially harmful goods on the local market.
Under the Ghana Standards Authority Act, 2022 (Act 1078), the Authority is responsible for developing and enforcing standards, conducting market surveillance, carrying out testing and certification, imposing sanctions for non-compliance, supporting industry development, and protecting consumers.
The Director-General stressed that the current staffing and infrastructure levels are inadequate for such a broad mandate, describing the institution as constrained by both human resource and logistical limitations.
To ease pressure on the Accra laboratory, GSA plans to establish a new middle-belt laboratory in Kumasi. However, the project has stalled due to funding and resource constraints.
Chairman of the GSA Governing Board, Alhaji Hudu Mogtari, warned that Ghana’s ambitions under the 24-hour economy initiative and the African Continental Free Trade Area could be undermined if products are not properly tested and certified to meet international standards.
He emphasized that trust in Ghanaian products depends on strong quality assurance systems and noted that the Authority also lacks some advanced testing technologies needed for specialised assessments.
Meanwhile, Head of International Relations at GSA, George Anti, outlined the Authority’s extensive responsibilities, including setting standards used by the Food and Drugs Authority, calibrating fuel pumps and electricity meters, verifying import conformity certificates, certifying organic products, and issuing the Made-in-Ghana logo.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee, Hottordze Roosevelt Alexander, described the situation as unacceptable and stressed that standards compliance is essential for Ghana’s success in regional and international markets.
Similarly, Ranking Member and Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, noted that GSA has earned international recognition and could contribute significantly to economic growth if adequately resourced.
The committee concluded that stronger collaboration between Parliament and the Authority will be necessary to secure the funding, legislative support, recruitment approvals, and infrastructure investments needed to decentralise GSA operations and strengthen its ability to support industry, trade, and consumer protection across the country.
Source: thebftonline.com
