Ghana Standards Authority closes down manufacturing outlets

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has closed down manufacturing outlets engaged in the production of households chemical products, including insects killers, at a residential area in Odorkor.

The companies were operating from a kiosks without any authorization from any government agencies and the production process also did not follow any laid down procedure and standard requirements.

They were also printing labels and embossing them with certification marks to mislead the public as though the products had gone through all the right processes.

This came to light when officers from the GSA embarked on a surprise swoop on the manufacturing outlets, following complaints from the residents living in the area about incessant fumes that they were constantly inhaling and the dangers that posed to their health.

Mr George Kojo Anti, the Business Development Manager at the GSA, who led the team on the exercise, said the Authority was keen on ensuring that manufacturers complied with the necessary regulations regarding their operations.

He said the activities of the manufacturing outlets posed a major health risk to the public, adding that there was a way to go about the business so that it would be safe for the operators, the workers and members of the public.

“Clearly what we have seen here, it is like operating in the jungle and they are putting human life at very serious risk,” Mr Anti said, adding that there is no law that would permit the kind of manufacturing being done in the residential area.

He said the manufacturing activities would not be allowed to continue in the area and if the operators were interested in doing a legitimate business they would be guided to adopt the best practices.

Mr Anti said the manufacturing outlets had fallen foul of the law and they would be sanctioned before any corrective measures were prescribed.

He urged the public to report such activities to the Authority for the necessary action to be taken against the perpetrators.

The GSA’s mission is to contribute to the growth of industry, protect consumers and facilitate trade through metrology, standardisation and conformity assessments (that is Testing, Inspection and Certification).

It provides the necessary assurance that goods and services is of acceptable quality and also promotes the growth of industry, enhances sustainable development and contribute to good public governance.

The Authority is legally mandated to undertake National Standards Development and Dissemination, Testing Services, Inspection Activities, Product certification Scheme, Calibration, Verification and Inspection of Weights, Measures and Weighing and Measuring Instruments.