More than 900 micro, small-scale enterprises licensed under PLS - FDA boss

More than 900 micro and small-scale enterprises have been licensed by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) as at the end of December 2022 under the Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS).

They include 660 food manufacturing facilities and two hundred and ninety-two cosmetics and household chemical substances.

The Authority indicated that prior to the commencement of PLS in 2019 only five per cent of micro and small-scale enterprises that applied for licensing were licensed.

Dr Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer of FDA, said following the implementation of Scheme the performance had increased to 100 per cent.

The Scheme is an initiative of FDA launched in July 2020 to support micro and small-scale industries to progressively comply with Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure quality and safe products on the market.

The initiative contributes significantly to economic development by maintaining consumer confidence in the food system and providing sound regulatory foundations by supporting Government’s Industrialization Agenda.

The PLS coupled with the FDA’s risk-based product registration process has ensured that locally manufactured food, cosmetics, and household chemical substances reach the market faster without compromising their quality, safety, or wholesomeness.

The Scheme uses a three-tier approach for licensing the micro and small-scale manufacturing facilities: issuing pink, yellow, or green licenses based on the level of compliance.

The targeted Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Training and technical assistance provided to clients of the PLS enables them to meet fundamental requirements of GMP.

She said for products registered, prior to the commencement of the Scheme in 2019, 52 per cent of product registration applications submitted by micro and small-scale enterprises were registered.

“Following the implementation of the Scheme the performance increased to 91 percent,” she said.

To date, a total of 2,917 products have been registered under the Scheme; comprising 2,405 food products and 512 cosmetics and household chemical substances.

The PLS commenced with the food industry in 2020, cosmetics and household chemical substances industry in 2021, will also include the herbal medicine industry in 2023.

She explained that the FDA would extend the success stories of PLS to the herbal medicine industry.

The PLS compliments the FDA ‘Buy Ghana, Love Ghana’ campaign initiative, which aims to stock 60 per cent locally manufactured FDA regulated products in high-end supermarket chains in Ghana.

She said with the commitment of collaborating supermarkets to stock products registered by the Authority, there had been an increase in the stocking and sale of registered locally manufactured products in A-rated malls and supermarkets across the country.

Dr Darko emphasized the Authority’s commitment to ensure that products, which were registered through the scheme, met both local and international standards.

“We are determined to continuously pursue this agenda with our partners, including the Ghana Enterprises Agency, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, and the Ghana Standards Authority,” she said.

Dr. Darko called on local manufacturers to increase their production levels while maintaining high-quality standards at competitive prices to boost domestic demand that will drive economic growth.