Control importation of electrical appliances, panel

Accra (Greater Accra) 28 Jan. '99

Accra (Greater Accra) 28 Jan. '99 A two-member panel at a forum on energy have suggested that control on the importation of electrical appliances should be tightened. Mr Thomas Yeboah, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy and Mr Neils Hesse, Chief Scientific Officer of the Ghana Standards Board (GSB), contended that laxity in the control of the importation of energy consuming appliances like refrigerators and pressing irons, especially second-hand ones, can spark off energy crisis to the detriment of the technological advancement of the country. Mr Hesse said many of the appliances in the market today do not perform as expected and as such they contribute to wastage of energy resources. He urged the government to institute measures to ensure proper scrutiny or tests before energy consuming items are brought into the country. Mr Hesse called for the revamping of technical committees of the GSB to enhance their work. Yeboah called for the adoption of energy conservation measures to guide Ghanaians. Mr David Mentzow, President of Alliance to Save Energy, USA, talked about US experience in the use of legislation and other incentives to promote energy efficiency and discussed how some of them can be adopted in Ghana.