The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) on Thursday, July 9, 2026, met with executives of the Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) to discuss concerns regarding the new direction of the management of the Ghana EasyPASS Programme.
It can be recalled that the GSA in May issued a notice stating that it had assumed direct control of the EasyPASS Conformity Assessment Programme and that from1st July all importers, exporters, customs agents, freight forwarders among others must submit applications directly to the Authority.
The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, in the spirit of mutual respect, transparency and public–private sector collaboration.
Following full and frank deliberations, the two parties jointly agreed to inform the general public, the business community and all stakeholders on certain clarifications:
- The Ghana EasyPass Programme is not a new policy or programme. It has been in continuous operation for the past ten (10) years as an established conformity assessment scheme of the Ghana Standards Authority. The document which occasioned the recent public concern was a set of operational guidelines issued by the GSA to existing and potential users of the Programme, and does not constitute the introduction of any new policy, levy or regulatory requirement.
- Compliance with mandatory Ghana Standards is a universal statutory requirement applicable to all products placed on the Ghanaian market, irrespective of participation in the EasyPass Programme. The EasyPass Programme is a graduation of this baseline compliance regime: it is available to businesses that elect to use comprehensive demonstrated standards compliance as a source of competitive advantage and enhanced consumer trust in the marketplace.
- Easypass Programme imposes no new obligation, cost or burden on the general Ghanaian business community, contrary to the impression created in earlier public commentary. Businesses that do not opt into the Programme continue to trade under the existing conformity assessment arrangements without any additional cost.
- The fees associated with the EasyPass Programme in respect of imported goods are borne by exporters and manufacturers abroad as an integrated cost of production or certification at origin. They do not constitute any extra new cost to members of GUTA or to the wider Ghanaian trading community and are not passed on as a new charge at the point of importation.
- Only products which meet the relevant Ghana Standards are admitted through the EasyPass Programme. The Programme thereby protects the Ghanaian consumer, safeguards fair competition, and shields compliant traders from the unfair market pressures created by sub-standard and counterfeit goods.
- GUTA acknowledges the clarifications provided by the GSA and affirms that its earlier concerns arose from a misrepresentation of the nature and scope of the Programme. In light of the fruitful discussions held, the concerns set out in the petition of 7th July 2026 have been fully addressed to the satisfaction of both parties.
- The GSA, for its part, acknowledges the importance of timely and structured stakeholder engagement, and commits to deepening consultation with GUTA and other private sector actors on all conformity assessment programmes and related communications, in keeping with its mandate under the Standards Authority Act, 2022 (Act 1078).
- Both parties hereby intend to establish a standing GSA-GUTA consultative framework, through which matters affecting standards, conformity assessment and trade facilitation will be discussed on a regular basis, to ensure that the private sector remains a full partner in the design, communication and implementation of such programmes.