Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has disclosed that more than 900 Micro and Small-scale enterprises were licensed as at the end of December 2022 under the Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS).

According to FDA, the MSMEs include 660 food manufacturing facilities and two hundred and ninety-two cosmetics and household chemical substances.

The Authority indicated that prior to the commencement of the PLS in 2019, only five percent of micro and small-scale enterprises that applied for licensing were licensed.

Dr. Delese Mimi Darko, the Chief Executive Officer of FDA, said following the implementation of the Scheme the performance had increased to 100 percent.

The Scheme, she said, was an initiative of FDA launched in July 2020 to support micro and small-scale inustries to progressively comply with Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure quality and safe products on the market, adding that: “The initiative contributes significantly to economic development by maintaining consumer confidence in the food system, and providing sound regulatory foundations by supporting Government’s Industrialization Agenda.”

“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.
“The Scheme uses a three-tier approach for licensing the micro and small-scale manufacturing facilities: issuing pink, yellow, or green licenses based on the level of compliance. The targeted Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Training and technical assistance provided to clients of the PLS enables them to meet fundamental requirements of GMP.”
Dr. Delese Mimi Darko

Logo of the Food and Drugs Authority

Dr. Darko pointed out that for products registered prior to the commencement of the Scheme in 2019, 52 percent of product registration applications submitted by micro and small-scale enterprises were registered.

“Following the implementation of the Scheme the performance increased to 91 percent.”
Dr. Delese Mimi Darko

Dr. Darko Expresses Optimism In The Future Success Story of the PLS

Commenting on registrations made, Dr. Darko communicated that to date, a total of 2,917 products have been registered under the Scheme; comprising 2,405 food products and 512 cosmetics and household chemical substances.

According to her, the FDA would extend the success stories of PLS to the herbal medicine industry, noting that: “The PLS compliments the FDA ‘Buy Ghana, Love Ghana campaign initiative, which aims to stock 60 percent locally manufactured FDA regulated products in high-end supermarket chains in Ghana.”

She said with the commitment of collaborating supermarkets to stock products registered by the Authority, there had been an increase in the stocking and sale of registered locally manufactured products in A-rated malls and supermarkets across the country.

Dr. Darko emphasized the Authority’s commitment to ensure that products, which were registered through the scheme, met both local and international standards.

“We are determined to continuously pursue this agenda with our partners, including the Ghana Enterprises Agency, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, and the Ghana Standards Authority.”
Dr. Delese Mimi Darko

Dr. Darko has called on local manufacturers to increase their production levels while maintaining high-quality standards at competitive prices to boost domestic demand that will drive economic growth.