The Ghana Assorted Foodstuff Exported Association (GAFEA) has said Ghana’s bid to maximize its foreign exchange earnings from the Non-Traditional Export sector cannot be achieved without revolutionizing the current manner for inspecting and certifying assorted foodstuff for export.
The association has therefore called for the establishment of a single Corridor Pack-House in accordance with International Best Operating Processes.
The call was made in a live-studio discussion on Unique FM 95.7 FM where Linda Anti, Council Member of GAFEA recounted how incidence of institutional overlaps bedeviled with unprofessionalism have combined at various stages of inspection and clearance of foodstuff consignments to either damage or contaminate such produce in a manner that results in significant financial loss to GAFEA members and also undermine the wholesomeness of such food exports from Ghana.
Ms. Anti cited a number of occasions where trained canines brought to inspect fish consignments ended up ripping apart several cartoons of fish and proceeded to chew some of the fish.
“How can such gross unprofessionalism and blatant disregard for the financial consequences of such actions by regulators and their agents inspire someone to stay in the business of exporting assorted foodstuff from Ghana?”
Treasurer of GAFEA, Mr. Prince Kwabena-Kwakye, speaking on the same program also added that countries such as la Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Kenya are now penetrating deeper into the European and American foodstuff market largely because they have introduced pack-houses that are being managed in accordance with international standards.
He recommended that Ghana can take a cue from these countries and adopt their pack-house systems into the on-going National Singe Corridor Project being initiated by government.
He said GAFEA, is particularly grateful to the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund for their enormous support in the execution of their advocacy action for the establishment of a Single Corridor Pack-House for the export of assorted foodstuff from Ghana.
The panelists appealed to institutions such as Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) to open up to the dialogue invitation from GAFEA and its stakeholders to define a seamless procedure for the inspection and clearance of Assorted Foodstuff from Ghana through the operation of a professionally managed single Corridor Pack-House facility in Ghana.
