The Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Professor Alex Dodoo on Monday inaugurated a national Multi-stakeholder technical committee on automobile standards to help formulate an international framework for the vehicle industry.
The 43-member committee would help the GSA, to take the lead role towards the establishment of a National Vehicle Homologation Programme for the Ghanaian automotive industry and gets standards for the vehicle industry.
The committee include representatives of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, National Road Safety Commission, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, Academia, vehicle manufacturing companies, Ghana Auto Dealers/Auto Part Dealers Association, Suame Magazine, Customs Excise and Preventive Service of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and the Ghana Standards Authority.
Prof. Dodoo said Ghana was taking the business of establishing vehicle assembly industry very seriously and there was the need to get the standards in place before take-off.
Already, the GSA is also finalising Ghana’s Automotive Standards, in line with international vehicle standards with consideration for conditions in Ghana.
Ghana recently signed Memoranda of Understanding with five global automobile manufacturing companies– Volkswagen, Sinotruk, Nissan, Suzuki and Renault – to establish assembly plants, to among other things, create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
The government expects to have these plants operational this year, and plans to introduce a National Automotive Policy ahead to guide and regulate the industry.
He addedthat the government’s plan for the agenda was on course and the GSA was taking the lead to ensure that aspects of quality and safety of vehicles have been addressed and procedures for homologation were clear and transparent to encourage Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in the sector.
The policy, among other things, grants the GSA the responsibility for the homologation of all vehicles manufactured in Ghana, including; Kantanka Automobile, an indigenous firm, which has been assembling its brand of vehicles for the local and international markets.
Prof. Dodoo mentioned that he is expects the committee to come out with draft standards by the end of the week, which would be submitted to larger stakeholder and public inputs and discussion before launch.
He said by the time the first car was manufactured, the producer should know what the standards, which would be acceptable for Ghana and the sub-region.
