Three cement factories, namely Xin An Safe Cement Ghana Ltd, Kumasi Cement Ghana Ltd, and Uniceme Cement Ghana Ltd, which were recently shut down by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) on November 13, 2023, have signed an undertaking.
In this undertaking, the companies pledge to adhere to industry standards and refrain from producing substandard cement.
The Director-General of the GSA, Professor Alex Dodoo, disclosed this information, noting that the factories were closed down due to their failure to comply with repeated warnings regarding quality standards.
“It’s something we have been questioning, that letter was issued after repeated instructions and we had to act for the sake of our country. Thankfully, this time, the companies have all admitted their wrongs, we have stopped their operations completely and we are supervising them, and we want more drastic actions,” he told the media.
Prior to this, these three cement manufacturers were caught operating despite a ban on their operations by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
As part of its commitment to quality control, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has announced plans to introduce legislation to regulate the production and sale of electrical cables and iron rods.
Professor Alex Dodoo emphasized the organization’s dedication to enforcing national standards and protecting consumers from substandard products.
In the implementation of this legislation, Professor Dodoo warned that companies found to be flouting the rules would face strict penalties.
“Before the L.I is laid and passed, we are going to take action not just against these companies, but companies in the cement, electrical cables and the iron rod industry. We chose these three because they represent areas of biggest risk and challenges at the moment.
“Our actions should speak to the fact that we want them to produce according to national standards and meet national needs. Because much as we want factories, allowing them to make sub-standards products will only make our associations worse.”
In addition to enforcing regulations, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is actively involved in public education campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of purchasing high-quality construction materials.
“For the past three weeks, we have been distributing leaflets educating Ghanaians. You can be rest assured of more and more of carrying out actions and ensuring that offending individuals and organizations pay the necessary administrative penalty or fines as demanded by law.”