Accra, Feb. 6, – The Ghana
Standards Authority (GSA) and the Communication for Development and Advocacy
(CDA Consult) has intensified the fight against the proliferation of
counterfeit electrical products in the Ghanaian market.
“The counterfeiting industry is
overwhelming, but that is no reason to give up and let it continue, we need to
support and collaborate to deal with the proliferation,” Mr Francis Mensah
Akpaloo, GSA Standards Officer stated at a workshop organised and sponsored by
the CDA Consult at Ho recently.
Mr Akpaloo who is also GSA
Technical Supervisor advised companies to create a data repository of potential
threats, and then use models to forecast potential risks.
The CDA Consult workshop forms
part of series of nationwide public education initiative dubbed: “Avoid
Patronage of Counterfeit Electrical Products,” which seeks to assist
stakeholders to identify counterfeit electrical products on the market.
Mr Akpaloo urged companies to
build product repository, or data bank, consolidate relevant historical
information about internal incidents and industry insights into external
incidents.
He suggested that the product
data bank should contain information about internal counterfeiting incidents,
including specific details such as raw material, adulterant, source, date of
incidence, cost to the company, and actions taken.
“Information about external
incidents can be gathered through participation in structured industry
clearinghouses like the non-profit Fair Factories Clearinghouse used in the
apparel industry, informal communication networks, and alert tools such as
price monitoring systems,” he said.
Mr Akpaloo also urged companies
to employ a comprehensive set of deterrent strategies, stressing that, “a more
cost-effective way for a company to protect its brands and its consumers would
be to apply a comprehensive set of deterrent strategies to prevent counterfeit
products from entering the supply chain in the first place”.
He also encouraged companies to
enforce the highest manufacturing standards using programmes such as Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO) Standards, and accredited third-party certification
schemes like the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
He said, “By setting the bar
based on very clear industry standards, these programmes help to reduce the
risk of problems and provide added security within the supply chain.
“It is important, therefore, to
understand local risks and their potential impact on operations. Companies can
expand their understanding of the potential risks that exist where they source
materials or manufacture products by partnering regulatory agencies, academia,
and research institutions that monitor and analyse industrial developments”.
Mr Akpaloo said it was necessary
to shore up strategies and bolster investments that had already been committed
to the supply chains, such as in brand protection and product safety.
He called for integration of
product safety and quality, and educating procurement and supply chain
personnel to become more sensitive to these increasing threats.
Mr Akpaloo lauded the effort of
CDA Consult in creating a platform among industry, government, academia, and
trade associations, which was a powerful tool for addressing electrical
counterfeit in the country.
He said such a broad stakeholder
collaboration would minimise the risk of electrical counterfeiting by protecting
internal competitive intelligence, safeguarding against additional liabilities,
and improving regulatory deterrence.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, CDA Consult
Executive Director explained that the proliferation of counterfeit electrical
products in the country “is on the increase, and as a nation we need concerted
efforts to deal with the problem.
“Ghana is gradually becoming a
fertile market for counterfeit electrical products. We need a national crusade
to fight the proliferation of counterfeit electrical products.
Mr Ameyibor said the CDA Consult
was collaborating with public institutions, including the Ghana National Fire
Service, Ghana Standards Authority, Electrical Contractors, Electrical
Manufacturers, Electrical Shop Owners, end users, contractors, security
agencies, and the media in the crusade against the proliferation of counterfeit
electric products in the country.
He said: “CDA Consult is creating
the platform and will build the necessary forces against the proliferation of
counterfeit electrical products. We are focusing on raising awareness among the
public regarding counterfeiting.
“We are creating a platform to
expose the public to the main consequence of using cheap counterfeit electrical
products – fire outbreaks and/or corporal harms like electrocution, loss of
property, accidents and death”.
Mr Ameyibor said the Brong Ahafo
Region would host the next workshop in the third week of March, which seeks to
expose stakeholders to dangers associated with the patronage of counterfeit
electrical products, as well as create a platform for security operatives and
others to enforce laws against sale of counterfeit products in the country.
CDA Consult is providing an
orchestrated programme platform with a designated project leader and top
management support. In such programmes, industry experts lead workshops and
conduct risk assessments to identify threats and develop a more comprehensive strategy
for addressing electrical counterfeiting in the country.
GNA
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