GSA, Police offer training to standard inspectors on importation of inferior goods

Traders selling substandard electrical products will be apprehended, sanctioned

In 2018, about 96% of electrical products sold on the Ghanaian market were below standards

Standards Inspectors to soon hit the markets

Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo has disclosed of a collaboration with the Ghana Police Service to offer training to standard inspectors in a bid to curb the persistent importation of inferior goods into the country.

According to him, the trained inspectors after the exercise will be equipped to check the influx of substandard goods being sold in the markets.

Addressing guests at the 10th edition of the Quality Awards organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Professor Dodoo explained the move has become necessary to ensure the quality of goods imported into the country.

“As Standards Authority and also working with all the regulators, Foods and Drugs Authority, National Petroleum Authority, 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.”

He continued, “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.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Standards Authority has revealed plans to sanction and apprehend traders or retailers who are found culpable for selling substandard electrical products on the market.

The move according to the Authority is necessary to curb the menace of substandard electrical products being sold on the Ghanaian market.

In 2018, about 96% of electrical products sold on the Ghanaian market were below standards.