The QCC has been accredited to ISO IEC 17020 Pesticide Residue Laboratory and ISO IEC 17025 cocoa inspection.

Mr Samuel Maxwell Karikari Addo, Managing Director, QCC, said this accreditation is a significant achievement, which also marks an important milestone for the nation's cocoa industry.

He said as an inspection body, QCC can now undertake various activities as it possesses the necessary skills required for an enhanced quality management solution.

Mr Addo said the accreditation has also offered their inspectors high levels of professionalism, confidentiality, timely delivery of inspection certificates to customers, timely documentation of inspection data and impartiality.

He said with this accreditation they would regularly calibrate and verify their measuring equipment and carry out scheduled plans to ensure reliability of services and accuracy of jobs.

Mr Philipp Stalder, Swiss Ambassador, congratulated Ghana for receiving the international accreditations with support from the Swiss Government.

He said the international accreditation would further strengthen the country's position and recognition as one of the world's leading cocoa producers.

"We believe that with appropriate framework conditions and further investments, the Ghanaian cocoa sector can do much better in future. The cocoa sector holds enormous potential for wealth creation not only through the accumulation of foreign hard currencies but also for providing decent living existence for cocoa farmers in many regions of the country. For this reason, Switzerland would continue to support the Ghanaian cocoa sector."

Mr Juan Pablo Davila Sanchez, Project Manager, UNIDO, said for QCC the added advantage was becoming the cocoa inspection body in West Africa to be accredited to an international standard.

He said this success did not come easy but from a lot of work and dedication for the QCC staff and commitment from management.

"Bodies to provide good assessment require to be independent, impartial, transparent, technically capable and competent to perform their activities," he said.

Mr Sanchez said when the industry players approach these bodies they should trust the validity, accuracy and professionalism of the services.

"UNIDO would be counting on your collaboration with other institutions to sustain the success achieved," he said.

Dr Ebenezer Owusu, Board Chairman, QCC, said COCOBOD is the first organisation to attain this accreditation in the West African sub region adding that COCOBOD has demonstrated prescribed levels of competence and the  QCC is ready to test and certify cocoa and other related products.