Ghana Standard Authority pleads for more resources to execute its mandate

The GSA explained that when provided adequate resources would help them check and prevent the entry of inferior electrical cables and other substandard gadgets from into the country.

In a report prepared by the Parliamentary Committee on Trade Industry and Tourism on the challenges of imported sub-standard electrical cables, gadgets and accessories, it stated that the GSA received 15% of the one percent Destination Inspection Levy charged on all imports.

The report said this was between 2003 and 2015.

This meant that the GSA received about US$700,000 per month to carry out its mandate. The funds have since been exhausted and the GSA receives GHC500,000 which is 1.5% in line with the Earmarked Funds and Capping Realignment Act, 2017 (Act 947).

However, the Parliamentary committee indicated that after the GSA’s allocation of the destination inspection levy was revised, the Authority has faced challenges in executing their mandates.

These include conducting frequent and effective market surveillance and the test of products before export among others.

“The Committee recommends that, as a matter of urgency, the Ministry of Finance restores the 15 percent share of the 1 percent Destination Inspection Levy to the GSA without being capped to enhance their operations,” the Parliamentary Committee stated.