The Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Professor Alex Dodoo, has praised his outfit’s contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.
He noted that the GSA is one of the most important institutions in Ghana which has one of the largest collections of internationally accredited laboratories as well as a rich human resource.
This means that results being churned out by the Authority are internationally recognised and are trusted.
Prof. Dodoo made this statement during a Scientific Conference organised by the GSA in Accra on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, under the theme: “Enforcing the GSA Act: Strategies from Metrology and Inspectorate Directorates”.
He also stated that in addition to the rich human resource at the Authority, the GSA has purchased modern equipment worth millions of Ghana Cedis to augment the Authority’s services.
“Over the past few years, the GSA has engaged in an aggressive infrastructural development and advancement which has seen a number of our Labs gain international accreditation as well as enabled the establishment of various laboratories including West Africa’s first Air Conditioner and Refrigerator Test Laboratory, Concrete and Cement Lab, Commissioning of Trading Standards Inspectors, who have been tasked to sanitise our markets of substandard products among others,” he said.
Prof. Dodoo further stated that for the country to benefit and made aware of the strides and expertise of the Authority, it has since 2018, organised conferences to discuss and share knowledge among staff and other stakeholders to improve its work.
“As Ghana’s National Standards Body, National Metrology Institute as well as the National Conformity Assessment Body, the GSA has a critical role to play in Ghana’s socio-economic development. We believe in embracing scientific and technical expertise across various disciplines, including the humanities, as a catalyst for national development,” he added.
The Board Chair of the GSA, Prof. Felix C. Mills-Robertson, in a brief remark during the conference, encouraged the staff to take their work seriously as they are very integral in the development of the country.
He explained that their work influences consumers’ purchasing decisions and helps protect their lives so they should avoid lackadaisical attitudes in the discharge of their duties.
Previously an internal event, the Scientific Conference has been restructured to make it accessible to the public, through the media and other channels, aligning with the GSA’s functions outlined in the Ghana Standards Authority Act 2022 (Act 1078).
Some of the international accredited labs in the GSA include Food and Drinks Lab, Pesticide Residues Lab, Metallic Contaminants Lab, Microbiology Lab, Temperature Lab, Mass and Balance Lab, Volume Lab and recently the Cosmetics Lab.
