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The Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA) says assertions by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) that only two electrical cable brands sold on the Ghanaian market meet standards and are safe to use are inaccurate.

According to them, all imported cables are tested by GSA before granting permit for clearance from the country’s ports.
President of GEDA, Joseph Kwaku Obeng told The Finder that it is the duty of GSA to unravel how the substandard cables enter the Ghanaian market.

He explained that most members of the association sell the best quality electrical cables.

He stated that GSA is empowered to conduct post-clearance audit and take actions prescribed in their laws.
The President of GEDA noted that members of the association supply about 80% of all electrical gadgets used in the country. 

While acknowledging that some members of their association may be contributing to imports of inferior quality, Obeng said, key imports in the power sector, such as cables and transformers and their corresponding parts, are sourced from international sources.

He explained that tests conducted by GSA on electrical equipment imported by their members show their products meet both local and international standards, and in most cases beat the locally produced cables in all parameters set for testing.

He stated that usually it is GEDA members who draw the attention of GSA to the existence of substandard cables on the market.

According to him, when GSA conducted tests on such cables, they were found to be of sub-standard quality. 
Therefore, he said, the association is confident that the claim that only two cables are of good quality cannot be true since GEDA members are more than two importers distributing several quality brands.

Obeng stated that GSA conducts tests on cables imported by GEDA members before granting permit for clearance from the port.

He reminded GSA that it is their duty to also conduct post-clearance tests on the imported cables and those found to be substandard dealt with.

President of GEDA noted that as responsible corporate citizens, GEDA members do not engage in the importation of electrical cables classified as high-risk goods since such substandard cables could have disastrous consequences on users and the nation.

He warned that if such substandard cables were used, they could not withstand the heat generated by electricity and could lead to fire outbreaks.

He said the association was a major stakeholder in fighting high-risk goods, and would co-operate with the relevant bodies, such as the GSA, to rid the market of substandard goods and to prevent Ghana from becoming a dumping ground for shoddy goods.

Obeng stated that some of importers have now established plants and are producing cables locally while others are in the process of establishing local manufacturing plants.