They have therefore appealed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the European Union (EU) to consider the roll out of phase two of the project.

  “The project has led to the capacity building of the staff of MOTI in trade policy analysis and formulation, the implementation of trade policies and trade agreements including the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

 “ It has also led to the creation of a performing quality infrastructure which covers areas such as regulation, metrology, certification, accreditation, standardization and conformity.”

  Representatives of the beneficiary institutions, including the Foods and Drugs Authority, Ghana Export Promotion Authority and the National Board for Small Scale Industries, all commended the remarkable progress that the project had made on their performance.

  They noted that the programme had been beneficial to the national quality infrastructure and the institutions involved, giving them an enhanced image as well as putting them up there in the provision of quality services that could meet international standards.

 “The training programmes and the facilities installed have come at the right time and would help regulate as well as mitigate the challenges faced in terms of the pursuit of quality service delivery in the country.”

  Project Director Mr Michael Senayah said about €7 million was invested in procuring state of the art equipment for 28 laboratories for six institutions namely; the Ghana Standards Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, Customs laboratory, plant protection and regulatory services directorate, Food Research Institute and the Institute of Industrial Research.

  He said during the project period, they also developed a draft national quality policy which the Ministry was yet to send to cabinet for consideration and approval.

  Mr Senayah said an attempt to establish an accreditation body for the various personnel and laboratories could not materialise because of some challenges, but expressed the hope that the Ministry would take it up and push for it.

  “In the national quality infrastructure, there should be an accreditation body who only accredits laboratories and personnel’s handling the laboratories, this would give these outfits and identity and credibility needed.”

  He said ‘the upgrading of our national quality Infrastructural is to assist Ghana to build the atmosphere where quality is infused in the processes so that our products that come out would be safe for the consumers and meet the necessary quality domestic and intentional markets requirements’.

 Mr Robert Ahomka-Lindsay, Deputy minister for Trade and Industry applauded the TRAQUE team for developing a draft national quality policy which the Ministry would be sending to cabinet for consideration and approval.

He said they were trying to establish an accreditation body and the warehouse receipt system to help sanitise the industry and facilitate trade and stimulate trade led pro-poor growth.

 “The government is pursuing an industrialisation drive for the Country and it is cognisant of the fact that an effective, efficient and globally recognised quality infrastructure will play a major role in fueling this industrialisation drive.”

 He revealed that within his government’s industrialisation drive, they would pursue aggressively these objectives to ensure a complete quality infrastructure and provide a formal marketing platform for the local produce.

 The Charge’ d’ Affaires of the European Union to Ghana Mr Paolo Salvia congratulated the TRAQUE team form helping make the programme a huge success adding that his outfit was preparing future programmes to support investments in the agricultural sector and public finance management.