The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Local Government Service have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the decentralisation of quality infrastructure development in the country.
The move, according to both parties, would facilitate trade as well as protect consumers.
Professor Alex Dodoo, Director General of the GSA, signed on behalf of the authority, while Dr Nana Ato Arthur, Head of the Local Government Service, signed on behalf of his outfit.
Prof. Dodoo, speaking on the need for the collaboration on Monday in Accra, stated that Metrology Conformity Assessment was the surest way to bring sanity into the system.
According to him, the time had come for all local government institutions to operate in line with the laid down procedures to ensure that the consumer gets value for money.
“We need to streamline and harmomise every decision taken at the local level to give the numerous clients and service providers the confidence to support all decisions taken at the local level to promote the socio-economic development of the country,” he added.
Dr Arthur stated that the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda needed such collaboration to ensure the success, adding that conformity assessment, test assessment and certification of products would give the international markets and local consumers the trust and confidence in goods produced locally.
“Markets no longer need the ‘olonka’ as measurement; buildings must abide by the codes to ensure conformity”, he said, adding that, standards and certification would be strictly enforced.
He indicated that within 12 months of coming into force of the MoU, “no building would be allowed permit if the cement blocks are not certified to ensure the proper thing is done.”
“The property owner must get value for money, the situation where everything goes would no longer be accepted in any region of the country,” he said.
Dr Arthur urged the GSA to partner the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to start with market surveillance in order to have a firsthand information from of the people to enable them better understand the essence of the MoU.
He charged all local authorities to ensure the Ghana Building Code was respected and implemented, and standards enforced.
“I am charging you to strictly enforce the building code to ensure the right thing is done, the permit of any developer must be withdrawn and severely sanctioned, if that person fails to abide by the code,” he added.
Lawrence Vomafa-Akapalu
