An electrical cable manufacturing business in Tsopoli-Bueko in the Ningo Prampram District was shut down yesterday by the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) for producing without a license.
Additionally, it was discovered that the firm, Fenice Metal Technology Limited, had labeled its unlawfully finished goods as having been made in Nigeria, China, and Turkey before offering them for sale to the general public.
Nine people who were identified as the directors of the factory's activities were detained as part of the operation by the GSA enforcement team, which was led by the police.
Observation
The Daily Graphic team, which followed the GSA enforcement team, saw that there were several private security guards and heavily armed military soldiers providing protection at the plant.
The Daily Graphic learned that production only occurred at night using electricity from a generator and that the facility was not in operation since the Electricity Company of Ghana had switched off their power.
Additionally, the team discovered that samples of the company's items they had confiscated had bogus GSA certification stamps applied to them to make them appear real.
However, the management asserted that the business had submitted an application for certification and was awaiting a response from the relevant body.
Operation
The GSA's Head of Enforcement, who oversaw the operation, revealed that the sweep was based on intelligence the authority had collected during ECG's visit to the facility, during which it was determined that it was operating on an unlicensed basis with an unauthorized electrical connection to avoid paying the correct fees.
"Based on the investigation we perform, we have determined that manufacturers typically commit these violations in pairs.
Accordingly, he continued, "it goes without saying that they would, most likely than not, be committing other offenses if a company is operating without paying tariffs and using an illegal connection to steal power from the state."
Potential
Mr. Anti described such actions taken by any corporation as potentially disastrous because if their goods were of poor quality, they would start a fire that would result in the loss of property and, more crucially, human life.
The authority's primary objective, he continued, was to safeguard consumers, even though it also intended to stimulate commerce.
He said that because the nation has started trading in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), their actions would harm the socioeconomic growth of the nation.
As a result, we must ensure that they satisfy standards and are safe, not just for usage but also for their intended purpose. "We are moving into an era where we are trading under the AfCFTA and getting products from all sorts of places coming onto our market while ours will go to other people's markets," Mr. Anti added.
blogpay
