The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has reiterated its stand againstgovernment’s decision to implement the Ghana Conformity Assessment Program(G-CAP) on the basis that its implementation would negatively affect consumers because businesses would be compel to increase prizes of goods due to the resultant multiple charges.
Speaking to The Insight in an interview, General Secretary of the shippers Mr Sampson AsakiAwingobet said his outfit is against the G-CAP policy by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) not only because it imposes multiple charges on businesses but also amounts to duplication of duties currently being performed by five accredited destination inspection companies in the country.
According to him parliament enacted a law that mandates for the inspection of goods only upon arrival in the country to ensure that they are of good quality, appropriate quantity and right pricing.
He therefore expressed surprised about the GSA`s G-CAP initiative of pre-shipment inspection which is contravenes the law.
He noted that the policy if implemented would lead to the enrichment of other economies instead of the local economy since charges are paid to countries of origins of goods being exported.
The Importers and Exporters claimed that the pre-shipment charges imposed on them would affect consumers adversely since the prizes of goods would increase as a result of the multiple charges.
The move by the GSA MrAsaki said cannot eliminate inferior goods from entering into the Ghanaian market and urged the government to avoid its implementation for the sake of local businesses.
It urged the GSA and government for that matter to devise better business friendly but lawful measures to check inferior goods from entering the country instead of the G-CAP.
Ghana Standards Authority and some Destination Inspection companies (DIC`s)signed the G-CAP program on August 28, 2014, for the provision of conformity assessment services on goods to be imported into the country.
Under the policy, products to be imported will undergo verification and testing at country of supply (exporting) and a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) will be issued to demonstrate that the product meets the applicable standards.
The Importers and Exporters all the functions of the G-CAP are already being played by the DIC`s.
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