The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, met with members of the Greater Accra Branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to discuss the role of standards in promoting trade.
The meeting, held at the head office of the Authority, was aimed at educating the business owners on how standards, metrology and conformity assessment could help them comply, compete and expand into new markets.
The Director-General (DG) of the GSA, Professor George Agyei, in his remarks, expressed the Authority’s excitement in having all businesses under one roof to discuss how they could both collaborate to improve their businesses.
He stated that the most powerful weapon for businesses is standards, and when they complied with standards, their businesses would go far and remain competitive.
“The single most powerful, under-utilized competitive weapon available to every Ghanaian business is standards. Standards are the language of trade and without them you can be exposed in the markets,” he noted.
He further tasked them to work closely with the GSA to help them understand and standardize their products and activities to reap the full benefits.
Prof. Agyei, however, sounded a word of caution about high-risk goods and other sub-standard products that are illegally imported into the country. He told the gathering that GSA would not be lenient on people who bring in sub-standard high risks goods because such goods affect consumers and could cause problems for the country, adding that such businesses would be sanctioned according to the law.
The chairman of the Greater Accra AGI Branch, Mr. Tsonam Akpeloo, was grateful to the GSA for the opportunity to host the forum to discuss the benefits of standardization to businesses and trade in general.
He noted that the association stood ready to support GSA to carry out its mandate.
“Today’s meeting is very critical especially in our area of business. Standards are very important, because, without it, we can’t trade. We are willing to work with the GSA to help ensure that goods manufactured and imported into the country meet the standards,” he said.
He added that industry loves to collaborate with government and are not against government policies but rather want government to engage them extensively before introducing new policies.
He appealed to the government to consider the interests of industry before implementing certain ideas or policies.
Officials from GSA took the AGI members through the various activities of the Authority and how these activities could help them in their line of work.
Mr. Kojo Eshun, the Deputy Director-General in charge of Conformity Assessment (DDG-CAS) and Hon. Samuel Jabanyite, the Deputy Director-General (General Services), in their remarks, also noted that the GSA existed to help them grow and assured them of their support.
“You’re the cornerstone and very vital to the economy of Ghana and we’ll give you the needed support to grow,” they noted.
Dr. Awal Mohammed, the Deputy Director-General (Operations), expressed his full confidence that the discussions would yield great benefits to the businesses and encouraged them to draw closer to the GSA to help them resolve their issues to promote their business.
Various questions were posed to the GSA with the Authority ultimately pledging to work closely with them to ensure that they meet the standards and improve their businesses.
Members of the AGI Greater Accra Branch who attended the discussion included representatives from the textiles industry, food and beverage sector, farmers, cosmetic companies, electrical cables companies, among others.