The Ghana Standards Board (GSB) together with other regulatory agencies have been urged to ensure that the Ghanaian consumer buy products and services that meet required local as well as international standard.

Since the ordinary Ghanaian consumer is not equipped with the technical knowledge to determine the quality and standard of the products they purchase it is the role of the GSB and its allies to ensure that all products that come into the Ghanaian market are of acceptable standards.

The purchasing of poor products affects the health of consumers who are deceived into thinking that they are getting value for money.

The General Manager for Newspapers at Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr. Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh said this at a lecture organized by the Ghana Standards Board as part of activities marking their 40th Anniversary the theme "Standardization and Public Policy Decisions-Challenges for Media and the Private Sector" in Accra.

Speaking on the topic "The Role of the Media and Private Sector in the Development of a Sound National Quality Infrastructure", he indicated that the question of standards is crucial because in a liberal environment competition must be healthy and should provide consumers with choices.

He said the inflow of substandard goods has adverse implication at the various levels of society because poor quality items that flow from both internal and external sources unfairly and unjustly undermine local industries and traders.

According to Mr. Boadu-Ayeboafoh, substandard goods tend to affect genuine manufacturers and the outcry would be against the whole range of products rather than a single item; and the adverse effect is that the local industrial capacity is undermined leading to job losses.

The General Manager indicated further that the infiltration of the market by inferior goods affects revenue generation and there is the feeling that the regulatory agencies are incapable of discharging their responsibilities.

"We therefore need to take concerted action to help safeguard the interest of consumers, prevent job losses, protect national revenue, build local production and protect the image of our country, as one which would not countenance substandard goods and services," He added.

Mr. Boadu-Ayeboafoh said the media could promote or undermine economic performances and standards by teaming up with manufacturers to say that standards are too rigid.

He indicated that in the same way that the media help citizens in elections and monitor governments they are able to help or undermine relationships that should exist between consumers and producers.

According to him through the media the public is made aware of the choices and scope of competition and this enables firms and industries to be environmentally friendly and responsive.

"Free and independent media working with the private sector can make governments more responsive to the needs of citizens," he added.

Mr. Boadu-Ayeboafoh further used the occasion to call on the private sector to help in lobbying the government to pass the Freedom of Information Law which will make it easier for media practitioners to access information from Public Office holders.

The General Manager cited an instance in the United States of America where the Foods and Drugs Board has a centre for drug evaluation and research which provides information to the media.

The information includes the processes that some unscrupulous persons go through to get substandard drugs to the public, the re-labeling of expired, defective drugs, dilution of ingredients and misrepresentation of active ingredients.

The Executive Director of the GSB, Mr. Adu G. Darkwa in his speech indicated that the capacity to confirm that required standards of products are being met is a measure of competitiveness and quality infrastructure of the country.

He said that Ghana and other developing countries face similar challenges in the standards, technical regulations which are compulsory standards and conformity assessment domain.

"Quality requirements are increasingly shaping international commercial prospects for developing and transition economies," He added.

Mr. Darkwa indicated that unfortunately for Ghana quality and confirmation of compliance are the two weak areas that need to be dealt with by his outfit as well as other regulatory agencies.

The Executive Director indicated that recent revelations at the Public Accounts Committee sittings were clear indications that most of the Ministry, Departments and Agencies do not conform to high standards of operations.

Mr. Edwin P. D. Barnes, the Chief Director at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service speaking on the topic "the role of international standards in the public policy decisions" said that the compliance of standards helps in the promotion of good governance.

"The use of standards be they at the international or national level essentially aim at making life better for the citizenry. The impact of standards may thus be felt in all aspects of the life of the citizenry," He said.

According to him with the government having the aim of promoting good governance, standards could be seen as positive technical tools which helps in achieving such goals.

He therefore called on the government to provide the necessary support to national standardizing bodies to provide efficient, competitive, transparent and consumer-manufacturer oriented services.