Sponsor: Ministry of Trade and Industry
Period of Consultations: Mon June 19, 2023 to Wed October 04, 2023AN ACT to establish the Ghana Accreditation Service, to provide for an efficient and effective accreditation system for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies; to monitor conformity assessment activities and to provide for related matters.
The object of the Bill is to establish the Ghana Accreditation Service to provide for an efficient and effective accreditation system for the accreditation of conformity assessment. Cabinet at its twenty-eighth (28th) meeting held on Thursday 28th April 2022 considered and approved the National Quality Policy to streamline and strengthen the NationalQuality Infrastructure (NQI) in Ghana. The Policy prescribes a comprehensive NQI that comprises Standardisation, Metrology, Conformity Assessment, Accreditation and a robust Technical Regulatory Framework.The Ghana Accreditation Service is a critical institution within the National QualityInfrastructure. Article 36(9) of the Constitution enjoins the State to “take appropriate measures needed to protect and safeguard the national environment for posterity and shall seek cooperation with other States and Bodies for the purposes of protecting the wider international environment for mankindâ€.Accreditation ensures that conformity assessment bodies are competent to verify health and safety of products and services while at the same time preventing unhealthy, unsafe, and environmentally harmful products from entering the marketplace. This will be in keeping with the constitutional imperative of article 36(9) of the Constitution.Accreditation demonstrates to the market place that conformity assessment bodies are technically competent to provide specific services such as testing, calibration, certification and inspection in accordance with the requirements of national and international standards. Users of accredited services can be confident in the quality of the processes used, the competence of the staff and the reliability and accuracy of results. By way of demonstrating technical competence through accreditation, public and private conformity assessment bodies differentiate their services from their competitors.
Key Provisions / Thematic Areas
The objects of the Service are to
- provide an efficient and effective accreditation system for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies;
- support the needs of Ghanaian enterprises that are competing in a fast-paced global economy;
- promote accreditation to support public policy objectives in terms of health, safety and the environment;
- promote accreditation to
- facilitate international trade; and
- enhance economic performance of the country;
- promote mutual recognition of the results of accredited conformity assessment bodies;
- promote recognition and protect the use of the logo of the Service and other affiliated organisations; and
- promote the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies including calibration laboratories, testing laboratories, certification bodies, inspection bodies, verification bodies and validation bodies.
Comments
We invite you to kindly bring forth your much needed comments, inputs and/or recommendations in view of helping shape this draft Bill.
Alternatively, if you have no objection, kindly confirm in writing.
Key documents to download
How to respond
This Consultation is Closed
Email to:
Write to:
P.O. MB 47, Ministries, Accra-Ghana.
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