The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Kumasi Office, has urged businesses in the Ashanti Region that have yet to regularise their product certification and standards compliance to do so before the Christmas and end-of-year festivities.
The Authority said it would intensify compliance monitoring, market surveillance and enforcement activities during the period to ensure that products placed on the market meet the required standards and that consumers are protected.
In a press statement, the GSA Kumasi Office commended companies in the region that had successfully completed its Product Certification Process and obtained the necessary certification for their products.
The Authority said the companies had demonstrated commitment to quality, consumer protection and compliance with applicable Ghana Standards.
The GSA also called on companies that had recently been served penalty letters to urgently engage the Kumasi Office before the deadlines specified in their respective notices.
According to the Authority, it had deliberately refrained from publicly naming the affected companies because its immediate objective was to promote trade, support businesses and help them regularise their operations through the appropriate certification and compliance processes.
It, however, warned that businesses that failed to respond within the stipulated periods could face further regulatory action, including possible public naming.
The Authority further encouraged food and non-food businesses that had not regularised their certification status to visit the GSA Kumasi Office for guidance and assistance.
It advised businesses to begin the certification process early rather than wait for enforcement activities to commence.
The GSA explained that product certification serves as a third-party attestation that a product meets applicable requirements for safety and quality.
It also encouraged consumers to patronise certified products and assured the public that the Kumasi Office would make its social media platforms available in the coming months to publish lists of certified products.
The Authority said certified products and companies would also be featured in subsequent press releases.
The GSA Kumasi Office reaffirmed its commitment to working with industry and other stakeholders to promote quality, facilitate fair trade, protect consumers and create an enabling environment for businesses to grow.
For further information on product certification and other services, businesses may contact the GSA Kumasi Office on 0322025344 or 0322034558.
The designated contact persons are Mr Isaac Appiah Kusi, Regional Director, on 0244876362; Stephen Owusu, Administrative Officer, on 0249729712; and Enoch Antwi Agyei, Marketing Officer, on 0244874918.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
