The development of the Ghana Building Code which spells out the specifications required for Building and construction has been launched at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Navrongo in the Upper East region.
The desire of the Government to ensure the safety of Ghanaian is paramount hence his commitment and support to the development of standards in the country.
Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) Professor Doudu indicated that, the Ghana Building Code (BC) was launched in October, 2018 as part of Ghana Standards Authority (GSA)’s efforts, to make available specifications on requirement for the Building and construction industry.
With government’s support and the sponsorship of five key stakeholders, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, promised to make copies of the Building Code available to each region.
The launch of the BC is an opportunity for the GSA as a Statutory Body responsible for the management of the country’s quality infrastructure, as it present a copy to each District and Municipal Assembly, to sustained the cordial relationship between the two parties and in the long run, ensuring the safety of Ghanaians across the country.
The objective of the launch was to present a copy of the Building Code to all District Assemblies in Ghana, advocate for the adherence to the specification and requirements indicated in the Code among the Building and construction industry and to contribute to the public safety and assurance in all public buildings.
The BC was launch alongside the National Alatoxin Sensitization and Management Project (NASAM) which indicates that high levels of aflatoxin are found in grains produce in Ghana.
This led to postharvest losses, farmers selling their grains at lower prices and the inability of Ghanaians grains and derived food product to be sold in the international markets. High aflatoxin levels also affect the health of consumers as it is known to be the cause of some diseases.
Ghana Standard Authority GSA seeks to combat the aflatoxin problem by embarking on a sensitization campaign to disseminate information on aflatoxin and provide solution. The project aims to catalyze and sustain an inclusive agriculture transformation by improving food safety and security through increased knowledge about aflatoxin and its impact and management.
In all, over four hundred farmers, Agriculture Extension Officers, traders, input dealers among others drawn across the 16 Municipal and District Assemblies were sensitized on the high levels of aflatoxin on Ghanaian food product.
The Dean of the University for Development Studies Professor Albert Luguterah observed that the needs a holistic approach in order help bring downs no all the food produced.
The project targets about five thousand farmers and two hundred value chain actors directly and about Six hundred thousand households indirectly.
It is expected that the project will strengthen agriculture input system, technology development and supply chain, increased adoption of agriculture productivity enhancing technologies and reduced impactof agricultural volatility.
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti
