The Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), acting on the request of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has suspended implementation of the Ghana Conformity Assessment Programme (GCAP) which was scheduled to take off from October 1 this year.
The Authority will provide a report on the public education and consultation to the Trade Ministry by November this year for further action to usher in full implementation of the programme at a new date.
Executive Director of the Authority, Dr. George Ben Crentsil -- in a speech read on his behalf at a press briefing on the new development in Accra, said the suspension will allow for extensive sensitisation and consultation between GSA and the various stakeholders in the shipping business, especially importers and exporters to ensure cooperation and smooth running of the programme.
“GCAP, since its launch, has been embraced by the shipping public; but there are some who have expressed concerns about the need for extensive sensitisation to allow for thorough understanding. These views have been taken on board and the programme has been deferred to ensure that issues about GCAP are clearly explained and understood,†he said.
The Ghana Conformity Assessment Programme, which will run concurrently with the existing pre-shipment regime, is a new directive from the GSA that all imports into the country must be tested and certified at the point of origin -- the exporting country -- before shipment can be effected.
GCAP, when implemented, will apply to both small and large-scale shippers of some selected products which include consumables, electronic products, and building materials.
It is being touted by both GSA and the shippers, specifically the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), to be a solution for the influx of cheap and sub-standard imports on the domestic market -- a situation that remains an albatross militating against growth and sustainability of local manufacturing companies.
“The overriding reason for implementation of GCAP is to ensure the prevention of substandard and fake products on the Ghanaian market. The programme will protect the health and safety of consumers and the environment.
“If we want to get the best as a country in terms of satisfactory and quality products, then GCAP must be taken seriously; standards are applied globally to ensure that both locally-produced and imported products are safe for consumption and the environment,†Mr. Crentsil noted.
Under the GCAP, products to be shipped to Ghana will be inspected and tested by service providers that have been hired by GSA in the exporting country. For products that meet the conformity standards, GSA will be issued a certificate of conformity (CoC) in advance.
In a situation whereby the consignment does not meet specified requirements, a non-conformity report (NCR) will be issued and the exporter, on that basis, will not be able to ship the consignment to the country.
Freight forwarders and clearing agents are supportive of the GCAP, saying aside from the aforementioned benefits it will also ensure value for money for shippers, safeguard local producers from unfair competition and boost public confidence when purchasing consumable goods on the market.
They were however concerned about the timing of implementation, especially when traders aspire to rake in some profit as the festive season draws closer, and the challenges facing small-sized enterprises in the shipping business who do not buy directly from product manufacturers to survive and thrive under the new system.
The GSA seems to have calmed down these concerns with the postponement, and the fact that consignments whose value are below US$3,000 will go through the existing pre-shipment inspection which is being performed the five destination inspection companies operating in the country.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who launched GCAP earlier in August this year, was supportive of the directive: “Although imported products serve as an important source of revenue through taxation, it is also important to ensure that steps are taken to bring in products that are safe and of the right quality for the consumer as well as the environmentâ€Â.
By Patrick Paintsil | B&FT Online | Ghana
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