Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG), Samson Asaki Awingobit, has disclosed that the Ghana Energy Commission did not engage his outfit prior to the ban of secondhand appliances in the country.
According to him, although some stakeholders were consulted by the Commission, the association which forms an integral part of those who will be affected were not engaged. He revealed that the decision by the Commission doesn’t bode well for members of the association.
“I want to put on record that the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana was not consulted and engaged by the Energy Commission when they decided to put a ban or regulate some selected items that they deem [unfit] to come into the country. I think that at a point, they said they have engaged stakeholders but for the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, so far as I’m concerned, there was no engagement between my outfit and the Energy Commission.”
Samson Asaki Awingobit
Mr Awingobit indicated that the decision by the Commission to starkly focus on carrying out the ban at the ports clearly leaves out another channel through which import of such items into the country can be undertaken – that is via the country’s borders. He noted that majority of some Nigerians import used-appliances into the country using the borders; hence the need for the Commission to exact its authority there.
“What regulation does the Energy Commission [effect] against those people? So, those who bring that kind of substandard materials, especially electrical wires and other things are not coming through the port. Most of those who come through the port bring quality cables and quality electrical items.”
Samson Asaki Awingobit
The IEAG Executiver secretary stated that the banning of electrical and electronic appliances will not solve the issues identified by the Energy Commission. Instead, he urged the Commission to focus on monitoring the various outlets through which these items are imported.
“Their eyes are always on the port but what happens in the market, you don’t see Energy Commission setting up market surveillance team to do random tests to be able to ascertain quality cables and substandard cables. Now, those who come through the port, you cannot say you won’t bring used items. If they had engaged us, we would have advised that you can take a team to wherever these importations are coming from, if you want to bring imports, you go through those people, and they will test and get certified laboratory analysis…”
Samson Asaki Awingobit
GUTA welcomes ban, calls for better elaboration
On his part, the President of the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA), Dr Joseph Obeng, revealed that the association welcomes the decision by the Energy Commission and its reasons on the relevance of not importing substandard goods into the country. He explained that it is not strictly for the good health of the country but will help in energy efficiency and safeguard energy requirements in the country.
“We met with the Energy Commission on this issue and they took their time to explain the issue to us that we are not to allow substandard goods that works against the efficiency of energy in this country and goods that are hazardous to the environment. So, these substandard goods are not limited to used good but also captures goods that are new. So, the standards that’s going to be applied does not only apply to the so-called used products but for new goods also.”
Dr Joseph Obeng
Dr Obeng highlighted that per engagement with the Commission, the members had the clear understanding that Ghana Energy Commission is going to use “science, standards and regulations” to decipher what is to be allowed for use. This principle, he stated, is established, but the fact that goods that are slightly used and the used remains undefined poses some concern.
“Is the retrofitting of these products allowed or not?… To say that goods that are slightly used are not to be allowed is not what is to be accepted by the trading community. Standards are not discriminatory…”
Dr Joseph Obeng
The GUTA President emphasized that members of GUTA are in agreement with any regulation on imported appliances but are however concerned with the ban of some appliances in the country. He explained that most of his members have duly revealed that before they ship some of these appliances especially from Europe into the country, they go through some of these certifications instituted by the Commission.
“… What we don’t want to be confused about is the ban of electrical or electronic items… Standards do not have boundaries; standards are not confined to what is so-called new… So, once it’s established there’s no ban with these products, of course, if Ghana Energy Commission is talking about standards, then our people will understand that they have to go through these regulations.”
Dr Joseph Obeng
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