FDA ASHANTI REGIONAL OFFICE ADVISES WOMEN IN BUSINESS TO REGISTER PRODUCTS

The Ashanti Regional Head of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mrs. Nora Narkie Terlabie represented the Authority at a round table discussion on the 16th October 2020 where she delivered a presentation on the topic, "FORMALIZING GHANAIAN BUSINESSES, WHAT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS SHOULD KNOW".

The roundtable event was organized by the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in collaboration with Young Africa Works at Miklin Hotel, Kumasi under the theme "Ghanaian Women Entrepreneurs:The Cornerstone of Economic Resilience".

Mrs. Terlabie said the FDA is mandated by the Public Health Act of 2012, Act 851, to regulate the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of Food, Drugs, Cosmetics, Medical Devices and Household Chemical Substances.
The event had participants from the Registrar General's Department, Ghana Standard Authority, Soft Global and Fabulous Woman in attendance.

She mentioned that the FDA and National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) had made a collaborative effort through the Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) to facilitate the licensing of Cottage, Micro, Small and Medium Scale Industry businesses. She added that subsequent registration of their products would require that the operations and facilities of food processing plants ultimately conform to current codes of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), this she said would promote a safe food processing environment.

According to her, with the introduction of the PLS, there is a drastic reduction in the cost of laboratory analyses of food products and a shortened registration process. She further stated that as more Cottage, Micro, Small and Medium Scale manufacturing facilities get licensed and their products registered, the safety of food products supplied on to the market will be assured for consumers safety.

Lastly, she commended the NBSSI for partnering various institutions and agencies especially with the FDA to strengthen women in business.

She said, when we empower women to build and sustain their businesses, our nation’s growth becomes easier, however, we must ensure that the right measures are taken to regulate their products for consumer safety.