The Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) has outdoored a new weigh-bridge truck valued at €600,000 as part of its efforts to ensure standards across all sectors in the country.
Funded by the World Bank under Ghana Economic Transformation Project (GETP), the new truck would enable the authority to recalibrate all weighing bridges and ensure standards in terms of axle load weights in the country.
At a short ceremony to hand over the truck to the Authority at its head office at Shiashie in Accra, Monday, the Task Team Leader of GETP, Mr Thomas A. Vis, said GETP formed part of a large economic transformation project geared towards private sector development with a funding of about $200million.
He said as part of the project, there was a sub-component which had been given to the GSA and the provision of the weigh bridge truck formed part of that component.
Mr Vis said the weigh bridge truck would be used for the measurement of weights and other things to bring about standardisation, especially in port and other operation.
He said weights and measurement were critical to standardisation as such it was important that Ghana was turning attention to that area, since it would impact development of goods for both export and internal use.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, on his part underscored the need to enhance fairness and accuracy in trade through the enforcement of standards in trade and commerce.
He said accurate measurements were fundamental to economic growth as they instill confidence in consumers and also ensured that consumers received what they paid for.
Mr Hammond said pursuant to Section 60 of the GSA Act, 2022 (Act 1078), the Director-General of the Authority, Professor Alexander Nii Oto Dodoo, had been appointed as the 'Custodian of Weights and Measures' in the country with effect September 11, 2023.
He said the appointment was to ensure that Ghana aligned with international standards in metrology, adding that "this is vital for international trade and collaboration, as it establishes Ghana as a reliable and compliant partner on the global stage."
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He said the Director-General was expected to appoint and deploy inspectors of weights and measures for the effective administration of weights and measure in the country.
"As provided for under the Ghana Standards Authority Act, the inspectors shall examine every weight, measure or instrument for trade and industry including health, safety and environment devices for the purpose of verification. They will also compare the weight, measure or instrument with the corresponding working standards," he emphasised.
