Standards Component on products developed

Kumasi, Sept. 12, GNA -- The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiative (PSI) has developed a Standards Component under its Trade Sector Support Programme (TSSP) to establish the requisite national quality infrastructure needed to achieve a successful take-off in its industrialisation programme. Mr Kwadwo Afram-Asiedu, Deputy Minister of Trade, who announced this said the ministry was determined to address standardisation issues to ensure products and services in the country responded competitively to the challenges within global trade.

He was inaugurating Ghana Quality Organisation (GQO), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) for the development, advancement and promotion of quality technology to improve on the quality of life of the citizenry in Kumasi at the weekend.

Mr Afram-Asiedu said within the framework of the Standards Component, the ministry would embark on upgrading of institutions involved in ensuring standards of products and services and re-organise the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) to become more business focused. In addition, the ministry would step up efforts to enforce standards on the domestic market to protect the health and safety of consumers.

The Deputy Minister said the ministry was therefore, working in collaboration with corporate bodies and stakeholders to establish a bar coding system, labelling and price marking.

=93We would also establish a traceability system to allow for full transparency in the process of export and thereby increase the needed revenue from trade,=94 he added.

Mr Afram-Asiedu was optimistic that the NGO would co-operate with all standardisation and regulatory bodies in the country to bring about the needed quality systems to enhance trade and industry.

Dr Seth Asare, President of GQO in-charge of Programmes Management and Co-ordination, gave the assurance that the organisation would be actively involved in consumer protection activities to help the country's private sector, manufacturers and service providers to meet the requirements of both the local and international consumer.