The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has announced plans to deepen collaboration with key stakeholders to rid the market of sub-standard electrical products, as part of efforts to curb the rising incidence of fire outbreaks across the country.
The initiative will involve closer engagement with regulatory institutions, law enforcement agencies, importers, manufacturers and dealers to ensure that only certified and quality electrical products are sold to consumers.
The Greater Accra Regional Manager of the GSA, Mr. Clement Kubati, disclosed this at a sensitisation programme organised for members of the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA) in Accra.
The programme aimed to educate dealers on the need to comply with national standards, identify certified electrical products and appreciate their role in protecting consumers from the dangers posed by counterfeit and sub-standard materials.
Mr. Kubati said the growing circulation of inferior electrical products remained a major public safety concern, noting that many fire outbreaks and electrical accidents could be traced to poor quality cables, switches, sockets and other accessories.
He said the Authority would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to intensify market surveillance, enforce standards and increase public awareness to ensure that only products that met approved specifications were available on the market.
According to him, compliance with standards was a shared responsibility involving regulators, importers, distributors, dealers and consumers.
Mr. Kubati urged members of the association to stock and sell only certified electrical products and desist from dealing in inferior goods that put lives and property at risk.
He emphasised that public education remained one of the most effective tools in tackling the growing challenge of sub-standard products and encouraged consumers to verify the authenticity of products before purchase.