Accra: Ghana Standards Authority has marked this year's World Standards Day with a call on stakeholders to integrate standards into every aspect of national development. The day is celebrated across the globe on October 14 each year to recognize the critical role that standards play in promoting safety, driving innovation, and enabling sustainable development.
According to Ghana News Agency, in a speech read on her behalf by Mr. Hudu Mogtari, Board Chairman of the GSA, the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, emphasized that standards were not merely technical documents, but strategic instruments for national transformation. She highlighted their role in determining safety, infrastructure reliability, competitiveness of exports, and sustainable economic growth.
The Minister said that by developing and enforcing Ghana and internationally aligned standards, the GSA ensured that Ghana's products, from electrical cables and cement to textiles and agribusiness exports, met global quality requirements. This alignment enables market access and competitiveness. She noted that through developing food safety standards and certifications like ISO 22000, and regulating aflatoxin levels in grains and nuts, the GSA played a crucial role in protecting consumers and opening international markets for Ghanaian farmers.
Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare stressed the importance of standardization in achieving the goals of the Africa continental free trade area, as it reduces trade barriers, lowers production costs, and strengthens consumer confidence. She urged manufacturers and industry players to invest in compliance and testing to uphold the highest standards, recognizing quality as the gateway to growth. She also called on development partners to support Ghana in strengthening its quality infrastructure to meet global trade demands.
The Minister pledged the government's continued support for the GSA in modernizing laboratory infrastructure and expanding testing capabilities. She emphasized promoting harmonization of Ghana standards with global best practices, empowering GSA with resources and policies necessary to sustain its mandate as a strategic driver of the reset agenda.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Clifford Frimpong, Deputy Director-General, the Director-General of GSA, Professor George Agyei, stated that standards created common understanding, harmonized practices across borders, and served as the foundation for partnerships that drive sustainable development. He highlighted that achieving sustainable development goals required partnerships between governments, the private sector, regulators, innovators, nations, and communities.
Prof. Agyei noted that GSA had always embraced collaboration, working closely with international and regional bodies to align Ghana's standards with global best practices. The technical cooperation with UNIDO, the European Union, universities, and various regulatory bodies had strengthened GSA's laboratories, expanded testing capabilities, and improved certification and inspection systems. These efforts have enhanced Ghana's competitiveness in regional and national trade, particularly under the African continental free trade area.
The event, themed 'Shared Vision for a Better World, Standards for Sustainable Development,' featured solidarity messages from stakeholders and presentation of certificates to winners of the 2024/25 ARSO Essay Competition.
