The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has urged businesses to treat certification as a strategic asset rather than a regulatory burden, saying compliance with recognised standards strengthens competitiveness and opens access to local and international markets.
The message came during a webinar hosted by the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) with WTS Nobisfields, themed “Leveraging Standards for Local and International Market Access.” Nana Pokuaa Asare-Twerefour, head of GSA’s Food, Chemistry and Materials Standards Department, told participants that standards give businesses a structured path to producing quality goods and reaching new markets. “Standards serve as passports,” she said, adding that compliance supports competitiveness, attracts foreign investment and underpins industrialisation and innovation.
Diana Abena Amponsah, GSA’s chief scientific officer and head of its Product Inspection Department, focused on certification as proof of quality. “Certification is credible evidence of conformance,” she said, describing conformity assessment as a process of testing, inspection and certification that verifies products, services and systems meet specified requirements. Amponsah said certified products compete more effectively because they signal reliability, which she linked to repeat purchases and stronger customer trust.
She also warned of the cost of skipping that process. Exporting goods that fall short of an importing country’s requirements can be expensive, she said, citing rejected shipments, lost buyers and reputational damage as consequences that outweigh the cost of certification upfront.
Both speakers acknowledged that certification costs remain a real hurdle for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), though they argued the long-term payoff justifies the investment. They encouraged smaller businesses to approach GSA early, seek technical guidance and build quality systems incrementally rather than waiting until export deadlines force the issue.
Theophilus Tawiah, managing partner at WTS Nobisfields, moderated the session, which also covered GSA’s regulatory role, the certification process, export readiness and the practical barriers facing MSMEs seeking regional and global market access.
