Accra: The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has organized a stakeholder meeting to engage with the public, development partners, and other stakeholders on its 2024 work and performance.
According to Ghana News Agency, the meeting, which focused on reviewing the GSA’s 2024 performance and identifying areas for improvement, was under the auspices of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) and the Ministries of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MoTAI), and Finance (MoF).
In an interview with the media, Professor George Agyei, the Acting Director-General of the GSA, said the meeting marked a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in the Authority’s operations. He emphasized the importance of the stakeholder meeting for gathering feedback and identifying areas for improvement. Prof. Agyei stated that engaging with stakeholders would enable the Authority to better understand their needs and expectations, ultimately leading to more effective standardization and quality assurance in the country.
Prof. Agyei noted that the meeting provided GSA an opportunity to share its performance indicators, financial performance, and other key metrics with stakeholders. By doing so, the GSA aims to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability. The stakeholder meeting is also seen as a platform for the GSA to discuss its challenges and opportunities with stakeholders, including development partners, industry players, and the general public. Through this engagement, the Authority hopes to foster collaboration and build stronger relationships with its stakeholders.
By hosting this meeting, the GSA is taking a proactive approach to ensuring that its work is aligned with the needs of stakeholders and that it is held accountable for its performance. This initiative is a step towards promoting transparency and good governance in the standardization sector. Prof. Agyei underscored GSA’s commitment to delivering world-class standards services that meet international best practices while addressing the unique needs of Ghana’s growing economy. He added that the Authority remains dedicated to enhancing technical capabilities, expanding reach, and strengthening partnerships that drive innovation and quality across all sectors.
Board Chairman of GSA, Hudu Mogtari, mentioned that the stakeholders’ meeting with key partners and industry players aimed to drive Ghana’s industrial transformation in line with the government’s flagship 24-hour Economic Policy. Stakeholders discussed progress, challenges, and future plans to shape the country’s industrial landscape. Key performance indicators showed that the GSA performed creditably in 2024. For instance, about 53% of the 443 standards projected for development in 2024 was realized. All the standards developed, adopted, and revised during the year were sent for publishing and gazetting.
Additionally, the GSA verified 227,156 weights, measures, weighing and measuring instruments during the year under review to ensure that instruments being used for trading purposes operate within acceptable limits of error. There were 143,496 inspections conducted against 134,268 in 2023, exceeding the target by seven percent, while 1,128 certificates were issued to locally manufactured products by the end of the year against a projected 1,600.