By Gloria Anderson
Compete Ghana has engaged relevant agencies in the import and export value chain on the design of an early warning mechanism under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
This is to enable them to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information to enable exporters and agencies in the import and export value chain to respond in a timely and appropriate manner.
Food safety is a major concern in the EU and it has requirements on the safety of foods imported to the EU. For Ghanaian exporters complying with the EU requirements is key, because unsafe or incorrectly labelled products would face a ban from entering the European market.
The agencies were engaged in the role of stakeholder institutions in existing system, discussion on a streamlined information flow, features of the proposed dashboard and management of the mechanism.
The agencies included Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Standards Authority.
The others included the Foods and Dugs Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, Plants Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate, Veterinary Services Directorate and National Security.
Mr Nicolas Gebara, Team Leader of Compete Ghana, said the meeting brought consensus among key stakeholders the need to respond swiftly to alerts and notifications from the EU on Ghana exports.
“Sometimes, there are situations where there are complications regarding contaminated foods and what is important to do is to make sure that the information comes to the right stakeholder to be disseminated and take actions, to prevent more complications,” he added.
The team leader said the discussions were centered on establishing an early warning system that aims at providing the information, roles and responsibilities, and mechanisms to ensure better coordination among stakeholders. Shortening the delivery time of information on alerts and notifications on the quality of goods exported from Ghana to the EU, and establishing a central dashboard that is accessible virtually to key institutions virtually would allow rapid response to the alert system received.
Mr Gebara emphasised that farmers and exporters need to comply with the EU standards and food safety regulations to avoid warnings and bans on goods exported to the EU.
Nana Twum-Barimah Adu, an IT consultant commissioned by Compete Ghana to develop the early warning system, emphasised the importance of the software in enabling quick access of information by key institutions to be distributed to exporters. He said that the upgrading of the existing warning system by an electronic one would provide quick access of key stakeholders to alerts and notifications and would be more effective and would allow Ghana to promptly respond and take corrective action.
Participating agencies all indicated the increased importance of strengthening Ghana’s structures and mechanisms for preparedness and response to non-compliant export products and enhancing communication with stakeholders along the food chain between EU and Ghana. Participants agreed that the existing early warning system relating to exports in Ghana needs to be improved as it lacks the
capacity to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information to enable institutions and exporters to identify non-compliant exports to the EU and respond in an appropriated manner.
