Rhoda Appiah, Head of Communications and Public Schooling on the Meals and Medication Authority (FDA), has referred to as on Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana to embrace regulatory compliance as a important enabler of commerce and competitiveness.
Mrs. Appiah famous that the shortcoming of MSMEs to fulfill worldwide requirements locks Ghanaian merchandise out of export markets and deprives the nation of much-needed overseas trade.
She stated, “If our meals don’t meet worldwide requirements, we can’t export — and we lose the prospect to earn very important overseas trade.”
Nonetheless, by perceiving regulatory compliance not as a bureaucratic bottleneck however as a device for financial empowerment, Mrs. Appiah maintained that MSMEs might determine the appropriate assist, enabling them to compete, develop, and entice essential overseas trade for nationwide improvement.
Mrs. Appiah made these remarks throughout a UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) webinar held in collaboration with WTS Nobisfields, beneath the theme “The Function of the Meals and Medication Authority (FDA) in Selling Native and Worldwide Commerce.”
Progressive Licensing: A Bridge, Not a Barrier
The FDA’s Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) emerged as a central theme through the webinar. Designed to assist micro and small enterprises enter and scale inside the formal economic system, the PLS permits companies with restricted capability to start operations beneath primary compliance and enhance step-by-step.
“Compliance doesn’t must be intimidating,” stated Esther Amufa, additionally of the FDA. “The scheme permits companies to fulfill regulatory requirements steadily — by way of pink, yellow and inexperienced phases — every constructing towards full compliance with out overwhelming monetary or logistical stress.”
By means of this strategy, the FDA has registered over 10,500 merchandise and licensed greater than 2,300 amenities since 2019.
Purchase Ghana, Love Ghana: Native Manufacturers, World Requirements
The PLS is carefully tied to the Purchase Ghana, Love Ghana marketing campaign, which inspires main retailers to showcase FDA-compliant native merchandise. This initiative has improved visibility and shopper belief in Made-in-Ghana items, and enhanced market entry for MSMEs.
In accordance with Miss Amufa, “We’ve partnered with supermarkets like Palace Mall to create devoted cabinets for native merchandise, particularly throughout festive seasons. However we additionally present coaching on packaging, barcoding, and labelling — the whole lot wanted to be retail-ready.”
Infrastructure, Innovation and World Partnerships
The FDA, now over 28 years previous, is internationally recognised and ISO-accredited, with the most important scope of accredited testing laboratories beneath one roof in Africa. Its work is benchmarked by WHO requirements and supported by way of collaborations with the European Medicines Company, the African Vaccine Regulatory Discussion board (AVAREF), and NEPAD.
Mrs. Appiah added that FDA’s operations span Ghana’s seaports, airports, and border posts, facilitating environment friendly regulation of imports and exports, and guaranteeing shopper safety throughout the provision chain.
The authority can also be embracing digital transformation, with an AI-powered registration system and a soon-to-be-launched one-stop harmonised certification portal in collaboration with the Ghana Requirements Authority (GSA).
Moderated by Theophilus Tawiah, Managing Associate of WTS Nobisfields and legislation lecturer at UPSA, the webinar kinds a part of UKGCC’s ongoing sequence on regulatory reform and competitiveness of companies in Ghana.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Feedback, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform don’t essentially signify the views or coverage of Multimedia Group Restricted.
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