GHANA – Ghana has put in place a National Quality Policy to help create a global brand that epitomizes quality in Ghanaian products and services, as part of efforts to ensure strict quality management standards amongst businesses and industry.
“I will want to state that the National Quality Policy which will streamline activities of national infrastructure, institutions in Ghana has been approved by Cabinet last month,” said Mr. Micheal Baafi, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, during the launch of 11th Association of Ghana Industry and Quality Awards.
The policy will aid in the development of modern markets, products and services while demanding standard and quality requirements as the tenets of the fourth industrial revolution and with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in mind.
The Ghana Industry and Quality Awards organized in collaboration with the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), will be held in November, this year, under the theme: “Leveraging public private collaboration to accelerate business recovery.”
Mr. Baafi said the quality awards scheme among Ghanaian enterprises would induce competition in product and quality service delivery and pledged the government’s continuous support for the awards.
Mr. Clifford Frimpong, the Deputy Director General, Conformity Assessment, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), said Ghanaian businesses needed to be conscious of the combined effects of quality and competitiveness.
He said it was the only way for the economy to remain relevant, adding that the private sector needed to collaborate and be competitive on the AfCFTA market as other countries were bringing goods and services into the Ghanaian market.
“We are joining forces through the public private collaboration between GSA and AGI to accelerate business growth by increasing our country’s capabilities to become globally competitive through the National Quality Awards,” he added.
The Deputy Director General said they would use the award scheme to create a global brand that standardizes quality in every Ghanaian business and as well create quality attitude.
Mr. Seth Twum Akwaboah, the Chief Executive, Association of Ghana Industry, said the awards had helped in motivating entities to contribute to job creation and socio-economic development.
“Companies that risk their investments, manage their business well are examples to emulate. And the only way is to showcase them to the business community,” he said.
Mr. Akwaboah said the awards category would also focus on honoring young entrepreneurs who had succeeded in their businesses in order to motivate the youth. Enterprises doing well in the regions across the country would also be awarded.
In December last year, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), under the aegis of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, led a stakeholder consultation on the National Quality Policy to help broaden stakeholder understanding of the policy.
The stakeholders were sensitized on how the plan would prioritize the development of quality trade infrastructure in the country and how it would help businesses leverage it and take advantage of the AfCFTA.
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