Ghana Standards Authority warns manufacturers of abuse of certification stamp

Industries and manufacturers have been cautioned to refrain from abusing certification stamps issued by the Ghana Standards Authority. The authority has observed over the years a trend of abuse of the stamps on products sent on the Ghanaian market.

The product certification stamp is embossed on the items that have been duly certified by the Ghana Standards Authority, as proof of quality and ingenuity.

The product certification stamp is issued by the authority, with a unique identification code for each product that meets their requirements. However some scrupulous persons have resorted to emboss these stamps on virtually any other product which has not been certified by the authority.

Western Regional Manager of the Ghana Standards Authority, John Opoku Danquah tells Skyy News a routine market surveillance is undertaken to identify such products.

“Occasionally, at predetermined intervals we go to the market and we check products that are certified by us and we also look for products that are abusing our mark…because some people know that the mark serves as some assurance for clients they use the mark without authorisation” he noted.

He mentioned that the authority in years past would have confiscated uncertified products and those that abuse the stamps, adding that a new approach has been taken to rather encourage manufacturers of these products to comply with their directives.

“…hitherto we collected them from the shelves. Now its more about encouraging the people and educating them to do the right thing” Mr Danquah added.

Mr Opoku Danquah disclosed that some positive feedback has been realized as a result of the new approach taken by the authority.