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The National Communication Authority (NCA) is now making it mandatory for dealers, importers and manufacturers of telecommunication equipment to type approve their products before importing them into the country. Prior to this decision, NCA was doing voluntary registration and type approval of such gadget which made it possible for inferior and sub-standard equipment to slip and float the local market. Such substandard equipment, including mobile phones, apart from their health, safety and environmental implications were also causing poor network reception that was always attributed to telecom network providers. Mr Albert Enninful, Deputy Director General, NCA explained that the type approval was introduced for the purpose of registering and approving radio and telecommunication terminal equipment used in the country. Speaking at a sensitisation workshop on Type Approval and Dealership licensing on Tuesday in Accra, Mr Enninful said the regime was designed to facilitate easy access to the market, introduce variety of equipment choice for the consumer, and most importantly maintain consumer rights of the quality and safety of the equipment. The workshop afforded participants to understand the need for type approval guidelines for radio and telecommunications terminal Equipment like laptops, modems, television sets, microphones and networking equipment. Mr Enninful said before implementing the new guidelines on telecom equipment, such a workshop was needed to educate stakeholders on the regulatory framework. He said type approval was supported by legal backing as enshrined in the Electronic Communication Act of 2008 and that in order to ensure effective regulatory mechanism; NCA has employed the type approval and the dealer licensing regime. Section 6 (n) of the ACT 775 empowers the NCA to certify and ensure the testing of communications equipment for compliance with international standards, environmental health and safety standards including electromagnetic radiation and emissions. Mr Enninful said a new type approval certificate would be granted to a product that meets a minimum set of regulatory, technical and safety requirements. He expressed satisfaction with regard to this new regime as it would ease burden on manufacturers and suppliers prior to permitting access to the competitive market. Mr Isaac Boateng, Manager at the Regulatory and Administration Division, NCA, said the new regime would ensure that all telecommunication gadgets imported into the market met international standards and ensure efficient use of radio frequency spectrum as well as prevent disruption to public network. He said dealers, importers, and telecom companies who dealt in such equipment must first apply to NCA and give declaration of conformity issued by a manufacturer for the Authority to do the necessary checks and ensure that a particular gadget was safe for the market. He said NCA would collaborate with CEPS of Ghana Revenue Authority and other security agencies to confiscate any product which had not been approved to be in the market. Mr Boateng said a type approval certificate would be issued to those dealers whose products are approved in about two week�s period from the previous one month period. Mr Kofi Ntim Yeboah-Kordieh, Assistant Manager, Regulatory Administration, NCA said it was compulsory for any dealer in telecommunication equipment and institutions to apply for dealership certificate as well before importing any such equipment.