Why GSA said Empire Cement was not complying with national standards

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has been explaining why it said Empire Cement Ghana Limited was not complying with the applicable legislation and national standards.

In a letter dated March 31, 2022, signed by the Director-General of the GSA, Prof Alex Dodoo and addressed to the Managing Director of Empire, the GSA said market surveillance activities in the Greater Accra Region picked up samples of Empire Cement product(s) in the market.

It said the products were procured for laboratory analysis in accordance with applicable legislation and national standards and preliminary checks on the samples indicated that Empire Cement have been using the Certification Mark provided for in LI 662 (as amended by LI 664) without a licence and certificate from the GSA.

This, the GSA said constituted an offence and was in blatant contravention of the applicable legislation.

It said that misleads consumers and the public that the product has been certified as conforming to the applicable national standards and is both fit for purpose and safe to use; when it has, in fact, not been certified at all.

Products that are certified are issued a specific license number which appears under the Certification Mark as approved,” it said

Empire Cement says it is cooperating for permit

Meanwhile in an earlier response, to Graphic Online, Empire Cement denounced and discredited the accusations, saying it has not started producing cement at the factory for the open market.

It said it had permit to produce cement papers and was still working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a permit to commence cement production.

The company insisted that its cement packaging unit had all the permits for the production of cement packaging products.

Below is a copy of the details from the GSA letter seen by Graphic Online

NOTICE OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LEGISLATION AND NATIONAL STANDARDS – EMPIRE CEMENT

The Ghana Standards Authority (GA) is the national statutory body responsible for maintaining the National Quality Infrastructure through Standardization, Metrology and Conformity Assessment.

As part of GSA’s mandate, under the Standards Authority Act, 1973 (N.R.C.D. 173), the Weights and Measures Act, 1975 (NRCD 326), the Ghana Standards Certification Mark) Rules, 1970 (L 662) as amended and other relevant legislation, the Authority undertakes periodic market surveillance and enforcement activities to rid the market of substandard and non-conforming products in order to assure product quality, safeguard public safety and ensure compliance with applicable legislation and national standards.

In pursuance of the above, the GSA conducted market surveillance activities in the Greater Accra Region. Samples of your product(s) were procured for laboratory analysis in accordance with applicable legislation and national standards.

Preliminary checks on the samples taken indicate that you are using the Certification Mark provided for in LI 662 (as amended by LI 664) without a licence and certificate from the GSA.

This constitutes an offence and is in blatant contravention of the applicable legislation.

It misleads consumers and the public that your product has been certified as conforming to the applicable national standards and is both fit for purpose and safe to use; when it has, in fact, not been certified at all.

Products that are certified are issued a specific license number which appears under the Certification Mark as approved.

Pending the complete analysis of the samples taken, you are required, in the interest of public health and safety and in order to comply with the law, to forthwith recall all products bearing the Certification Mark which have already been supplied, distributed, or offered for sale from your manufacturing plant.

You are further required to forthwith cease the distribution or offer for sale of any such products bearing the Certification Mark. Following the complete analysis of the samples taken, all the appropriate penalties, as provided for by law, will be levied against your company.

Take notice that failure to comply with this directive will result in the appropriate actions being taken against your company without further recourse to you.