Blame Standards Authority for ‘influx’ of fake electrical gadgets – Retailers

The Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA) has said that the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is to blame if 96 % of electrical products sold on the market are substandard.

The GSA indicated that it inspected and tested electrical items such as wire cables, switches, bulbs and extension boards in August this year and the failure rate amounted to 96%.

However, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GEDA, Samuel Asare Addo, told Accra-based Citi FM that the findings are an indictment not only to the industry but also to the GSA as well.

“According to the Ghana Standards Authority 96% of the items we sell in the electrical industry is fake and we refute that particular research that has been done. Our reason is that we opened our doors for the GSA to come into our market and do their scientific research when it was done, they didn’t get to us as executives with their results, so we do not know where they got their results from.”

“If you look at the analysis how can 96% of the whole industry be fake, it doesn’t make sense. Also, Ghana Standards Authority is the only body who will make scientific tests on particular products and then okay them before they are allowed onto the market.”

Reacting to the comments by GEDA, the Director General of the GSA, Prof. Alex Dodoo admitted that the GSA could have done more to prevent the influx of fake appliances onto the market.

“We cannot point fingers at anyone, it is our job, it is our responsibility and that is why we are also heightening our market surveillance activities so if there are substandard products on the market it is our fault, its either we did not see it or it came in unapproved.”

“We are determined to make the market clean, we are preparing letters so that those who have to be fined will be fined, and those products that have to be relabeled will have that done and the rest will be removed and destroyed.”

“We will also not spare those found selling substandard products”