The Ghana Standards Authority has served notice it will confiscate all substandard electrical gadgets and equipment.
The authority has also warned it will pursue and sanction appropriately, persons who deliberately engage in the dumping of such products onto the Ghanaian market.
The caution forms part of moves to develop and enforce standardization on the Ghanaian market.
“Where the law permits us to apply sanctions, we will do so because there are somewhere fines are applicable and there are somewhere jail terms are also applicable. We will pursue them,” Executive Director of the Ghana Standards Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo said.
It will be recalled that the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) last year donated 5.5 million dollars to the GSA to improve standards in the energy sector under the Power Compact Two programme.
The Power Compact Two programme will see Ghana get over 400 million dollars from the United States government to invest in Ghana’s Power sector.
Professor Alex Dodoo, however, believes the move will promote the country’s plans for saving energy while enhancing the safety of Ghanaians.
“But I think for us it starts from the consumer. The consumer must be aware that we should not just accept anything. Beyond that, we have legal provisions to prevent these things from coming in. If they have come in and we have not seen them between GSE customs and other agencies, the question is how did they get in? So it is a robust approach to ensure that there is value for money for every Ghanaian” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, Martin Eson-Benjamin who lauded the initiative by the GSA believes the move will clear all faulty gadgets that do not meet the standards of the country.
“I am very passionate because apart from the fact that it takes money out of people’s pockets, and does not give them the value they are looking for; it is also unfair to the Ghanaian public that we should allow things that other people do not accept into our country”.
Adding that “We are a country which is 60 years old, we must start acting as such so we can be seen as a serious-minded country”.
The issue came up at a workshop organized by the Ghana Standards Authority in partnership with MIDA as part of efforts to create awareness and educate key energy sector players on energy efficiency standards.
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By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana