Wood industry: Ghana Standard Authority holds workshop on standards

The Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) has entreated stakeholders in the wood and furniture industry to work within specified standards and dimensions. This, the Authority says, will sustain and the keep the local industry in competition. As part of its core mandate to ensure standard adherence and facilitate trade for both imported and locally produced goods and services, GSA in collaboration with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has been advocating and promoting national standards among players in the wood industry. At a day’s workshop in Takoradi, in the Western region, it was revealed that the GSA has over the years developed and revised 21 standards for the wood industry. The aim, according to the Director General of the Ghana Standard Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo is to guide and enhance the local markets for high patronage: for Ghanaian market and export. He noted that many exporters who sidestepped the standards end up losing, having a ripple effect on the country. To insist on standards adherence and sustainability of the wood industry, the Forest Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) with support from UNIDO has set up a state of the art wood and furniture testing center at Kumasi in the Ashanti region to test and ensure both imported and locally manufactured furniture are fit for use in the country. Senior research scientist for FORIG, Francis Wilson Owusu said the facility among many other roles, will train wood artisans to work according to specifications. Mr. Owusu encouraged the youth to take advantage of the enabling environment to venture into the wood industry. “We want to ginger the youth to come on board, take that profession seriously because the support is there and they will be able to export outside the country… and this is going to help the industry to break even,” he said. Victor Mills, the UNIDO’s chief technical officer and Trade Project Coordinator for Ghana noted the sponsorship for national standard promotion is aiming at expediting effective and efficient wood products export. By Loveridge Ampratwum Okyere/ Connect FM/3news.com/Ghana]]>