GSA must be empowered to slap fines on law breakers – Prof. Dodoo

The Ghana Standards Authority, GSA, is asking for more powers to allow it impose fines on institutions that break the country’s standard laws.

This, the Authority says will not only empower it to discharge its duties, but will also give it the financial strength if it is allowed to keep a fraction of the fines.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the Director-General of the GSA, Prof. Alex Dodoo, said Ghana must emulate international best practice by giving the GSA power to sanction institutions that flout the country’s laws.

“Our expectations are that the Ghana Standards Authority will be given the powers to fine because when you see a petroleum station undercharging you only collect GHS5,000; it is not even a deterrent because they make more than that in a day. We want strong punitive sanctions. But if going to court will take you about two years in just one case, it is not even possible. We are hoping that we will be given the powers to literally bite because in a developing country like ours if you don’t enforce the laws, there is no point having them,” Prof. Dodoo said.

GSA inspections

Last year, Inspections carried out by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) exposed 10 fuel filling stations engaged in under-delivering of fuel purchased by consumers.

They included; Shell, Motorway Extension; Total, McCarthy Hill; GOIL Mile 11; Frimps Oil, Tetegu junction; GOIL, Galilea; Frimps Oil, Spintex Road; Glory Oil, Spintex Road; Allied Oil, Sakaman; Shell, Amanfrom West and Goodness Energy, Kasoa.

A statement issued by the Authority said in addition, two companies Galaxy Oil, Spintex Road and Agapet, Spintex Road had broken the GSA seal without permission.

It said in summary, out of 65 stations visited, 55 delivered the right quantities whilst 10 under-delivered, while two companies had broken the GSA seal without permission.

It said the GSA as part of its mandate to enforce the provisions of the Weights and Measures Act 1975, NRCD 326, was inspecting fuel measuring and dispensing instruments in parts of the country after the first phase of the GSA routine national fuel measuring devices verification exercise.