The Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA) has called for comprehensive stakeholder consultation ahead of the implementation of the Ghana Standards Authority’s (GSA) new Ghana EasyPASS Programme.
The union revealed that it had previously demanded the suspension of the initiative until proper discussions could take place.
National Welfare Officer Benjamin Yeboah explained that when the initiative was first announced, GUTA petitioned authorities to halt the rollout until relevant parties were consulted.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr Yeboah expressed disappointment that these expectations had not been met.
Aligning with concerns raised by the Food and Beverages Association of Ghana, he warned that the mandatory pre-export conformity verification system could increase the cost of doing business and ultimately drive up consumer prices.
“This is not the first time this has come up. When it first came up, we opposed it and demanded broad stakeholder consultation, and so they suspended it so that we could discuss the issues in detail. Stakeholder consultation is crucial because it can help deal with all grievances. However, they have not consulted us before reintroducing the EasyPASS.”
Mr Yeboah argued that authorities have a responsibility to engage the business community to ensure all concerns are adequately addressed.
“As GUTA, we will meet and decide on the next steps. That is our next move. But on the face of it, the Ghana Standards Authority should have done previously what we advised them to do. Get all stakeholders involved so we all buy into it to make implementation easier. Without that, there will be new layers of challenges. You may have good intentions, but rolling it out, you may face challenges or encounter problems.”
Under the newly reintroduced programme, selected imported goods must be inspected, tested, and certified in their country of origin before shipment to ensure compliance with national technical regulations.
Mr Yeboah stressed that the government has a duty to clear all doubts and dispel any misconceptions surrounding the new system. He argued that Ghana already possesses adequate regulatory institutions responsible for quality assurance and import inspections, suggesting that the government should enhance existing state institutions instead of introducing redundant policies.
He further warned that introducing another layer of mandatory certification imposes additional financial and administrative burdens on traders without delivering significant regulatory value.
“Existing institutions, including the GSA, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), already perform compliance functions on imported products. We can provide them with new tools and technologies instead of introducing another system that will involve another cost. The policy is simply adding another tax by another name,” the union added in a statement.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
