Programme to strengthen trade in West Africa launched
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has underscored the need for the establishment of a national quality infrastructure (NQI) to promote intra-regional and international trade.
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According to him, many countries faced challenges such as limited access to international trade systems, inferior and unsafe consumer goods dumped on them as a result of weak or unavailable NQI.
In a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the third phase of the West Africa Quality System Programme (WAQSP) in Accra, Dr Spio-Garbrah said a strong and credible NQI was critical to the international trade process which ensured that foreign and locally manufactured goods met international standards.
The WAQSP aims at entrenching the consciousness of meeting international standards within the private sector as well as strengthening regional integration and trade.
Dr Spio-Garbrah said it was important to create an environment that facilitated compliance with international trade rules for the sector to take full advantage of trading opportunities.
“We must work assiduously towards a society that recognises, embraces and rewards quality,” he added.
Third phase of WAQSP
In a welcome address read on his behalf, the Executive Director of the Ghana Standards Authority, Dr George Ben Crentsil, explained that the ultimate aim of the WAQSP was to ensure the harmonisation of national quality policies, adoption of standards and national laws on consumer protection.
He said it would see to the establishment of a regional accreditation scheme as well as a regional metrology and calibration scheme.
The first and second phases, he said, chalked up achievements such as the accreditation of some testing and calibration laboratories, the commencement of a harmonisation of regional standards programme and the establishment of a regional standards programme.
The third phase is being funded by the European Union (EU) at the cost of £12 million with technical support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Background
The West Africa Quality Programme (WAQP) was instituted with the overall objective of strengthening regional economic integration and trade by creating an environment that facilitates compliance with international trade rules.
Phases one and two ran for five years each, from 2001-2005 and 2007-2013 respectively.