STANDARDS BOARD ORGANISES FORUM FOR IMPORTERS (PAGE 35, MAY 6, 2010)

THE Ghana Standards Board (GSB) has organised a day’s forum for more than 90 importers from the Western Region to carefully examine the challenges facing importers and the board and also critically address related issues of the promotion of safety, quality and compatibility.
It was also used to share ideas and exchange views on how to enhance sustainability, as well as good regulatory practice, and together play a collaborative role in the protection of consumers and the environment.
Presentations were made on “Inspection of high risk goods and its challenges”, “The role of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service in combating the clearance of counterfeit and sub-standard goods” and “The destination inspection scheme — A tool for consumer protection”.
In his presentation, the Chief Collector of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) at the Takoradi Harbour, Mr James Gaisie, announced that the service was to establish specialised units charged with the responsibility for fighting illicit trade in counterfeit.
He said the establishment of a specialised Intellectual Property Right (IPR) in CEPS would also provide a one-stop shop for addressing applications made to the service on all counterfeit products.
On how to combat counterfeiting, Mr Gaisie said the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and its member Customs Administrations proposed to adopt the WCO Model Legislation on Intellectual Property Right as a measure to curb the menace.
He said CEPS had put in place an administrative mechanism that allowed right holders to lodge application/complaints with the commissioner for intervention.
Mr Gaisie said CEPS, through that arrangement, had been able to make significant seizure of counterfeit cigarette, toothpaste and wax print at the Tema Harbour.
He said in 2005 counterfeit cigarettes worth $20 million were seized in the country, while in May 2007, 14 forty-footer containers of counterfeit Green Close Up toothpaste from China were seized.
The acting Director of Trade Facilitation at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr Ntim Donkoh, said the Destination Inspection Scheme was being reviewed to streamline every aspect of the scheme to ensure that punitive measures were meted out to those who submitted fictitious documents.
He explained that the Ministry of Trade and Industry was mandated to initiate policies in Ghana’s trade and industry sector and create the environment for the facilitation of trade.
He stressed that there was a degree of risk associated with every imported consignment and that that had safety and public health implications.
Mr Donkoh said high risk imports were flagged for inspection to ensure conformity, prevent unfair practices, promote competition and ensure full disclosure of information on the package or item and also eliminate illegal importation.
He said the systems were set up to protect consumers and so importers should co-operate, comply or face conviction.
The Head of the Destination Inspection Department of the GSB, Mr Kofi Nagetey, said in August 2003 the Ministry of Trade and Industry mandated the GSB to take over the inspection of all high risk goods from the inspection companies.
He said the advent of free trade brought in its wake fake, pirated, counterfeit, sub-standard and expired goods, as well as deception of consumers through improper labelling of goods, all of which had serious implications for consumer protection.
Mr Nagetey stressed the need to intensify co-operation with CEPS and other regulatory agencies and market surveillance.
The acting Executive Director of the GSB, Dr George Ben Crentsil, in an address read on his behalf, explained that the role of the board at the ports was to ensure compliance of imported goods with established technical standards/specifications in order to prevent the importation and distribution of sub-standard goods on the Ghanaian market.