Military must help us put fear into Ghanaians – Standards Authority

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has made an urgent appeal to government to allow personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces and the National Security operatives to assist them in their duties.

The Authority is of the firm conviction that with the assistance of these security agencies, they will be able to curb the influx of adulterated and harmful products on the Ghanaian market.

In an interview on Radio Ghana, the Director of the Public Relations at the GSA, Dr. Amponsah Bediako said: “We even need the Military, the National Security Agencies to help us move all over the country thoroughly to make sure that those who are doing this are brought to book.”

“Until we do this, it will be very difficult to put fear into anybody so that is the unfortunate situation we are facing at the moment,” he added.

According to him, people who mix their products with harmful chemicals in order to boost sales have their hideouts in rural communities therefore, they are very difficult to trace.

He however, indicated that “with the assistance of the Police, we have tried arrest a few people but it is a very, very difficult challenge which will require the collaboration of all the security agencies.”

In an alarming disclosure, the GSA’s Public Relations Director said: “For most of the product on the market, only a few of them have been to our laboratories for testing. Majority of them just copy the logo and put them on their products.”

“It is one thing developing a standard and people willingly submitting themselves to the set standards…People are very much aware that to produce whatever they want to put on the market, they cannot do it anyhow but they need to go by a certain yardstick but because of the craze for money these days, anything is done just for the sake of money and that is what is posing a challenge to consumers of today.”

He remarked that persons who mix their products with harmful chemicals as well as those who do not subject their products for testing and approval “are criminal minded because they hide under the cover of darkness and do what they are not supposed do.”