GSA signals readiness to entrench role in industry

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) says it is now positioned to entrench quality and safety in the area of calibration and metrology in the country following European Union support through the Trade Related and Quality-Enabling programme (TRAQUE).

The EU last week provided equipment to the tune of €5.9million as well as training for staff to enable the Authority exert a more meaningful influence on the industry and contribute toward the country’s export drive agendum.

“Our collaboration with TRAQUE is fine, and concerning the equipment they have bought for us those instruments have made significant impacts on our laboratory work for Industry because they have given us instruments for the electrical, frequency and time laboratories as well as the dimensional lab. The rest are equipment for temperature and pressure measurement, which includes the hydraulic and pneumatic, and balance lab as well, Paul Date -- Head of Metrology Division, GSA, said at the inauguration of equipment cum staff-training on how to handle the new machines in Accra.

“With all these additional instruments coming in, it is going to help us to do more work in aviation, in the oil and gas sector; and then for the manufacturing and other sectors like hostels and pharmaceutical companies. All these will help the export drive,” he added.

In all, the EU has supported a total of 28 laboratories in the country; and according to Christian Peters, Head of Economic and Trade Section of the European Union Delegation, the gesture is aimed at improving effectiveness of the GSA and laboratories in the country as a whole.

“The European Union has supported the Ghana Standards Authority by way of supplying equipment --high standard and technology equipment in the area of metrology to improve the effectiveness of the Authority. As we are here today to inaugurate the new equipment, we hope that this equipment will enable the GSA to check whether products have the right temperature and whether fuel stations are calibrated correctly to ensure that customers get value for their money,” Mr. Peters added.

The support is also expected to improve the country’s participation in international trade by providing the right architecture and quality institutions to help Ghana improve on its products to be competitive on the international market.

Mr. Peters was likewise upbeat that it will improve the quality of work of the Authority, ensure reliability of tests, work in accordance to international standards and modern technology, and ultimately improve output coming from the GSA, saying: “We want to support development, and one of the things we have agreed with the Trade Ministry is to ensure quality calibration”.

A resource person and consultant/trainer for TRAQUE, Hans Liedberg, underscored the importance of the training and calibration: “Today’s presentation is to learn in a bit more detail the value of calibration and to guard consumers against unclear business practices; and help to encourage trade, especially international trade, because when everybody is confident about each other’s measurement trade will be easy”.