The Energy Commission will from effective November 2, 2023, begin enforcement of the 19 new regulations on the importation and manufacture of electrical appliances and renewable energy products in the country.
This is in line with its mandate under Act 541 passed by Parliament to prevent 20 electrical appliances that do not meet the minimum energy-efficiency performance standard (MEPS) requirements from entering into the country.
The appliances included rice cookers, television sets, electric kettles, solar panels, computers, set-top boxes, ventilating fans, storage water heaters, industrial fans, renewable energy batteries,
Others are public lighting, improved biomass cookstoves, electric motors, air conditioners, distribution transformers, clothes washing machines, refrigerators, comfort fans invertors and prohibition on import of used electrical appliances.
The Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the Commission, Mr Kofi Agyarko, disclosed this during stakeholder meeting with importers and dealers on the provision of the new energy efficiency regulations in Accra on Monday.
He said the new regulations were to promote effective use and conservative of energy in the country and mitigate related climate change.
According to him, the move followed a year's grace period given to the importers and dealers after the law was passed to transition to dealing in products that meet the minimum energy-efficient performance standards.
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"The idea is to prevent them from making Ghana a dumping ground; and so we want them not to place order for appliances by using the previous standards as the criteria so that between now and then, they will be able to dispose of what they have and then we step into a new regime," he added.
Mr Agyarko urged the public, especially the importers to consider the new regulations and come to terms to ensure sustainability.
In a presentation, Mr Edwine Tamakloe, Senior Officer, Energy Efficiency Regulation of the Commission, said the regulations required that manufacturers and importers of the appliances seek authorisation from the Commission, have instructions on appliances written in English and also meet energy-efficiency standards.
He indicated that a manufacturer commits an offence "if the appliance is not labelled, not properly labelled, labelled in a deceptive or misleading manner, does not meet the minimum performance requirements, or not accompanied by the required technical documentation."
"An individual who commits the offence is liable, to a fine not less than one hundred and twenty-five penalty units and not more than two hundred and fifty penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than twelve months or to both on first conviction a penalty unit of GH¢250.
A participant, Mr Dennis O. Carter, Group CEO of Maxigate Group, Tesla Africa in an interview with the Ghanaian Times lauded the move, saying that it would protect both consumers and businesses in the sector
