The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has said it remains committed to safeguarding public health and nurturing local industries through stringent standards.
This commitment is enshrined in the Public Health Act, Act 2012 (Act 851), which empowers the FDA to oversee a diverse range of products, including human and veterinary drugs, food, cosmetics and more.
This was contained in a speech read on behalf of Chief Executive Officer-Food and Drugs Authority, Dr. Delese Darko (FDA), at the 10th Made in Ghana Awards 2023 held in Accra. It was themed ‘Celebrating 10 years of promoting Ghanaian business pride’.
“As part of efforts by the FDA to provide effective regulatory support for local manufacturers, the Authority introduced the Progressive Licencing Scheme (PLS) in 2019 to support micro- and small-scale industries progressively comply with good manufacturing practices to ensure quality and safe products on the market. The PLS, coupled with the FDA’s risk-based product registration process, has ensured that locally manufactured food, cosmetics and household chemical substances reach the market faster without compromising their quality, safety or wholesomeness,” she said.
Dr. Darko described this as a show of the authority’s dedication to boosting local industry and championing domestically-produced products in partnership with the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
“This is a demonstration of our commitment to supporting our local industry and promoting made in Ghana products. We are determined to continuously pursue this agenda with relevant agencies, including the GEA, Ghana Export Promotion Authority and Ghana Standards Authority.”
To further support locally produced goods, the FDA launched the ‘Buy Ghana, Love Ghana’ campaign in 2020 to raise awareness about the Progressive Licencing Scheme (PLS) and promote the registration and patronage of made-in-Ghana products. The FDA went the extra mile, allocating resources to fund promotional videos distributed on social media platforms and select media outlets.
Awards
Speaking to the founder of Entrepreneurs Foundation-Ghana, organiser of the Made in Ghana awards, Sam Ato Gaisie stated that the sole aim is to celebrate the pride of indigenous and iconic manufacturing companies. It also seeks to create awareness and promote high quality domestic products that exemplify excellence in manufacturing practices and standards.
In all, 30 companies and individuals won various awards for their contributions to the economy.
“The awards’ key objective is being a campaign that provides a platform for Ghanaian consumers to patronise Ghanaian-owned products and service industries, and also encourage Ghanaian service industries to make significant improvements in service quality, service delivery and innovation to meet international standards.”
Mr. Gaisie went ahead to congratulate the awardees and urge Ghanaians to purchase more Made in Ghana products.
