1. THE STANDARDS SYSTEMS IN GHANA AND LINKS WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS BODIES
Joyce Okoree

2. Ghana Standards Authority (GSA)
National Statutory Body responsible for the development and promulgation of National Standards.
Standards Decree 1973(NRCD 173)
To establish and promulgate standards with the object of ensuring high quality of goods in Ghana, whether for local consumption or for export.
Ghana Standards Authority;

3. Ghana Standards Authority (GSA)
Standards Decree 1973(NRCD 173)
To promote standardization in industry and commerce
To promote industrial efficiency and development
To promote standards in public and industrial welfare, health and safety
Ghana Standards Authority;

4. Ghana Standards Authority;
Definitions
document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context (ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004, Standardization and related activities -- General vocabulary.)
Ghana Standards Authority;

5. Ghana Standards Authority;
NOTE: Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits.
Ghana Standards Authority;

6. Ghana Standards Authority;
Benefits of Standards
Cost savings
Enhanced customer satisfaction
Access to new markets
Increased market share
Environmental benefits
Opening up world trade
Ghana Standards Authority;

7. Summary of Standards development process
Proposal stage
Preparatory stage
Committee stage
Enquiry / Public Comments stage
Approval stage
Publication stage
Ghana Standards Authority;

8. Ghana Standards Authority; Documentaiton and Information Centre
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Every standard should be reviewed by the Technical Committee responsible not more than five years after publication, reaffirmation, revision or declaration of obsolescence to establish whether it is still current and, if it is not, to identify and set in hand appropriate action.
Ghana Standards Authority; Documentaiton and Information Centre

9. Ghana Standards Authority; Documentaiton and Information Centre
AMENDMENT PROCEDURE
Typographical errors and reference changes are corrected as a matter of routine by issue of corrigendum.
The technical amendment which alters and / or adds to previously agreed technical provisions in an existing Ghana Standards requires committee approval, and normally made available for public comment.
The amendments require approval of the Chairman of Technical Committees concerned
Ghana Standards Authority; Documentaiton and Information Centre

10. Constitution of Technical Committees
Academia and research
Industry
Consumer advocacy groups
Consumers
Conformity assessment
Regulatory bodies
Government
Ghana Standards Authority;

11. Eg: National Technical Committee on Water Quality
Constitution of the National Technical Committee on Water Quality
Ghana Water Company
Environmental Protection Agency
CSIR – Water Research Institute
Food and Drugs Authority
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
Community Water and Sanitation Agency
Water Resources Commission
Ghana Urban Water Company Limited
Water Manufacturing Companies
The Ghana Standards Authority
Ghana Standards Authority;

12. THE WORK OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEES
Work is done from the scratch when it involves a product without any existing standard
If there is an existing standard, that standard is studied by the Technical Committee for identical or modified adoption.
Ghana Standards Authority;

13. INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION & collaboration
IEC
ISO i
CODEX
National Standards Body
ARSO
ECOSHAM
MoUs
IEEE
BSI
SABS
CEN-CENELEC
ASTM

14. Participation in Committees: P-Membership - 13 O-Membership - 20
GSA – ISO (Full Member)
Participation in Committees:
P-Membership - 13
O-Membership - 20
PDC – 3
ISO/CASCO - Committee on conformity assessment ISO/COPOLCO - Committee on consumer policy ISO/DEVCO - Committee on developing country matters
Twinning Co-Secretary ISO/TC 34/SC 18

15. P-Membership - 13
ISO/TC 34 - Food products
ISO/TC 34/SC 17 - Management systems for food safety
ISO/TC 34/SC 18 - Cocoa ( Secretariat )
ISO/TC Environmental management
ISO/TC 207/SC 2 - Environmental auditing and related environmental investigations
ISO/TC 207/SC 3 - Environmental labelling
ISO/TC 217 – Cosmetics

16. P-Membership - 13
ISO/PC Cross-border trade of second-hand goods
ISO/TC Traditional chinese medicine
ISO/PC Occupational health and safety management systems
ISO/TC Clean cook stoves and clean cooking solutions
ISO/TC Timber
ISO/TC 207/SC 1 - Environmental management systems

17. GSA – ARSO(Full Member)
Participation in Committees:
Agriculture and Food Products
African Traditional Medicine
GSA – IEC (Affiliate)

18. GSA – CODEX ( Full Member)
National Codex Contact Point
Participating in 11Codex Sub-Committees
Contaminants in Food (CCCF)
Food Labelling (CCFL)
Food Hygiene (CCFH)
Pesticides Residues(CCPR)
Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV)

19. GSA – CODEX ( Full Member)
Participating in 11Codex Sub-Committees
Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS)
Fish and fishery Products (CCFFP)
Food Additives (CCFA)
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV)
General Principles
Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA)

20. Construction and Building Materials THC4 Electrotechnical, THC5
GSA – ECOSHAM
GSA is an active member in the West African Participation in Committees:
Agriculture THC 1
Food Products, THC2
Chemical Products, THC3
Construction and Building Materials THC4
Electrotechnical, THC5
TourismTHC6

21. Have so far adopted about 400 IEC Standards.
GSA – IEC
GSA is an Affiliate Plus member of International Electro-technical Committee (IEC).
Have so far adopted about 400 IEC Standards.
Now seeking for Associate membership to the IEC

22. GSA has signed an MOU with ASTM for adoption of their standards.
GSA – astm
GSA has signed an MOU with ASTM for adoption of their standards.
GSA has adopted a number of ASTM Standards.

23. GSA – aCI
GSA has signed an MOU with American Concrete Institute (ACI) for adoption of their standards.
GSA has so far adopted six (6) of their standards under Fibre Reinforced Polymer bars.

24. GSA – mida
GSA is currently under a four (4) year agreement with MIDA to support GSA in the development or adoption of standards for 20 different electrical products.
This includes Refrigerators, air-conditioners, solar panels, invertors and batteries

25. OTHER NEEDED STANDARDS- BUILDING CODE
Arrangements are being made to adopt the International Building Code (IBC) with its relevant ASTM standards

26. CHALLENGES IN STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT
The challenge of getting operational institutions to buy into the use of standards adopted.
Funds to promote the set of developed or adopted standards
Funds for training staff in various fields of standardization activities

27. STANDARDS and us-ghana commercial relationship
Ghanaians are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of standards in trading
Standards is therefore gradually increasing the commercial relationship between US and Ghana

28. Ghana Standards Authority; Documentaiton and Information Centre
Thank You
Ghana Standards Authority; Documentaiton and Information Centre