The Conformity Assessment Policy: The Minister Is Missing The Point

After a very rancorous meeting of stakeholders at the Ministry of Trade and Industry last Wednesday where blows were almost exchanged, the Acting Minister of Trade, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed issued a statement asking for the suspension of the Standard Board's proposed Ghana Conformity Assessment Policy.

According to the statement, the Standard's Board should again meet with all stakeholders to iron out their differences and allow the policy to take off by November 1, 2014. This is where the SCANDAL has a problem with the Minister. It is either that he does not appreciate the issues very well or that he does not want to bell the cat so he is postponing the problem to another day and for someone else to handle.

The issue is simple; no one is against the inspection of imported goods into the country to ensure that they meet the required standards. The point is that these inspections for conformity are already taking place. The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) conducts pre-shipment inspection of goods for the purpose of conforming to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) standards as well as the standards of World Health Organization (WHO).

Apart from the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Port Health Services are also here at the country's ports and borders making sure all environmental and health standards are met by all importers of goods. Indeed the country has about five Destination Inspection Companies (DICs) also carrying out the inspection of goods to meet the same standards.

All these agencies charge fees to carry out their inspections and these fees are ultimately passed on to the consumer. As you read this editorial piece, many importers of goods into Ghana have paid in advance amounts not less than USD20, 000.00 each to the FDA to unable them travel abroad to carry out these inspections.

So then the question is how different if the Standards Board's Conformity Assessment Policy from those that have been enumerated above and why does the Ministry allow such duplication of duties to the detriment of the consumer? Who is really in-charge of conformity assessment? Is it Standard Board, FDA, EPA, Port Health of the DICs? That is the crux of the matter.

So you see Mr. Minister, do not ask the GSA to go and meet with stakeholders to iron out their differences. The Ministry must take responsibility. The Ministry must harmonize these conformity assessments. There must be only one payment for conformity assessment and importers do not care which of these Agencies is given that responsibility. We cannot have a situation where different agencies are tripping over each other to perform the same duty for fees that end up increasing prices.

The SCANDAL is aware of the 'big men' who are behind this G-CAP deal with the SGS and BIVAC and will not hesitate to name names if this matter is not addressed immediately. The GSA does not need to meet with stakeholders for anything. The one meeting that is very necessary is the one the Minister should promptly hold with all these so-called conformity assessment agencies and tell us which one has the mandate to do the job in order to spare us all of the confusion.