G-CAP will benefit traders – Consultant

Mr John Smith, a Consultant in Trade facilitation under World Trade Organisation on the Product Conformity Assessment, has said the Ghana Conformity Assessment Program (G-CAP) would be beneficial to traders.

He therefore urged Traders Associations not to panic about the program as it is for all intents and purposes meant to protect their interests.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Smith urged the various trade associations to rather engage the Ghana Standard Authority to understand the operational modalities of the program to better educate their members on their roles.

The G-Cap program is meant to prevent the importation of unsafe, sub-standard and counterfeit goods into Ghana. The Program aims to protect consumer health and safety, safeguard local producers from unfair competition and reduce the risk that the domestic market becomes the dumping ground for nonconforming products.

Professor Agyeman Badu-Akosa , a former Director General of the Ghana Health Service said the program would help check the dumping of sub-standard drugs and health products unto the Ghana Market.

He said countries like Nigeria who have started implementation of such conformity programs have started reaping the benefits.

George Ofori, the President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association, said although the Association is not in disagreement with the need to ensure that goods imported into the country are of a higher standard, there must be proper and consistent guidelines.