The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (MoTI), Mr Michael Okyere Baafi has called on the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to position itself and take control of government’s efforts at attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said standards play a crucial role towards the accomplishment of SDGs as it contributed to the monitoring of the climate.
“The SDG’s, which project to address social imbalances, develop sustainable economies, and slow the rate of climate change are highly ambitious.
To reach them will require the cooperation of many public and private partners and use of all available tools, including international standards and conformity assessment,” he said.
Mr Baafi made the call at the commemoration of this year’s World Standards Day held in Accra yesterday.
This year’s event was on the theme: “Shared vision for a better world, standards for Sustainable Development Goals.”
The Deputy Minister noted that governments, organisations, communities and individuals were adopting measures to minimise the impacts of climate change around the world, and Ghana was not an exception.
He said as part of efforts to help tackle climate change in the country, the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), through the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), had supported the GSA with a $1.8 million Air Conditioner and Refrigerator Test Laboratory.
The facility, he explained would enable the GSA to carry out tests and ensure that all air conditioners and refrigerators imported into Ghana met the Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) set out in the Energy Commission’s Energy Efficiency Regulations.
“It will also contribute immensely to mitigating global climate change by ensuring that standards and efficiency are adhered to,” he emphasised.
On his part, the Deputy Director-General of the GSA, Mr Clifford Frimpong said the World Standards Day was a global event held annually on October 14.
He explained that the day was formally established in 1970 by Mr Faruk Sünter, from Turkey, the then President of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to raise awareness about the significance of international Standards to the global community.
Mr Frimpong noted that this year’s theme was a call for everyone, especially government, regulators, policy makers and stakeholders, to work together in ensuring the application of Standards in industry and commerce to make Ghana a better place for our future generations.
“Standards can provide much of the technical detail and safety requirements needed to make a good policy work. This includes everything from test methods to good management practices and the removal of barriers to international trade,” he reiterated.
Mr Frimpong explained that standards helped governments and regulators to achieve public policy goals.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
