Accra: Ghana Standards Authority has launched the Ghana Digital Conformity Pilot Project to enable consumers to verify and authenticate electrical cables and products.
According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative, developed with technical support from GSA partners SICPA, aims to improve the safety and quality of electrical cables and products on the Ghanaian market, enhance regulatory compliance among stakeholders, and reduce accidents associated with substandard electrical products. The project allows consumers, regulators, and businesses to verify product authenticity and report violations instantly using mobile-friendly verification applications.
The pilot phase, which will run for three months, focuses on locally manufactured electrical cables and involves six companies: Tropical Cables, Reroy Cables, African Diamond, Fenice Metal, Focus Technology, and Nexans Cable. The initiative is expected to extend to cover all others in due course.
In a speech read on her behalf by Kofi Addo, Director of Industry, the Minister of Trade and Agribusiness and Industry, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, stated that the initiative affirmed a shared commitment to upholding the quality and safety of products on the Ghanaian market. She emphasized that the project aligns with the national agenda to promote fair trade and protect consumers. The Minister praised the participation of local cable manufacturers, encouraging others to follow suit.
Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare further highlighted that once the project scales beyond the pilot phase, consumers will have access to easy-to-use verification tools, industries will benefit from a fairer marketplace, and regulatory bodies like the GSA will gain real-time insights into market compliance. She also noted the project's potential to significantly reduce incidents related to substandard electrical cables, which pose threats to lives and property.
Mr. Clifford Frimpong, Deputy Director-General, Conformity Assessment GSA, described the pilot project as a bold and necessary step to improve the safety, quality, and integrity of electrical products in Ghana. He said the project would boost public confidence in locally manufactured electrical cables and represents a significant innovation in conformity assessment.
The project aims to ensure that electrical cables meet acceptable safety and quality standards, equip consumers with mobile-friendly verification tools, support manufacturers and importers against unfair competition, and enable GSA and regulatory agencies to monitor compliance in real-time.
Mr. Frimpong commended the companies for their cooperation, noting that key activities such as awareness creation, training on the web app, and activation of digital conformity labels had been completed. Mr. Hudu Mogtari, the Board Chairman, emphasized that the project marks the beginning of a transformation in Ghana's industrial landscape, aiming to elevate quality and safety standards and protect legitimate manufacturers.
Mr. Francis Akpaloo, Senior Scientific Officer and Project Manager, explained that products tested and approved by the GSA would have a stamp-like label with unique numbers and codes to prevent counterfeiting. He assured that the system is secure, with only program managers having access to it.
