The Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) has revealed that fake electrical products and electronic appliances dealers are a major threat to the electronic and electrical industry.

“Ghanaians are at risk due to the proliferation of counterfeit electrical products and electronic appliances on the market. It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine electrical products.

 “Consumers are therefore under great risk whilst the activities of counterfeiters is also denting the image and business of the genuine dealers and also affecting mobilisation of taxes,” Mr Francis Ameyibor, CDA Consult Executive Director stated on Monday in Accra.

Mr Ameyibor explained that in view of the danger Ghanaians are being exposed to the marketing of the counterfeit electrical products and electronic appliances, CDA Consult in collaboration with Ghana Standards Authority has resolved to fight against the emerging threat to life and property.

He, therefore, enjoined electrical products and electronic appliances dealers, companies and other stakeholders to join forces with the “National Anti-Counterfeit Electrical Products/Electronic Appliances Campaign” to fight the menace.

He said CDA Consult over the past three-years had rolled out the campaign, which is dubbed: “Avoid patronage of counterfeit electrical products/electronic appliances,” which is being supported by some strategic stakeholders.

The CDA Consult in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has embarked on a comprehensive campaign across the 16 regional capitals and some district capitals to expose stakeholders and users to the great danger, associated with patronizing counterfeit electrical products.

He said the campaign is holistically embracing all stakeholders and a platform for all genuine dealers to demonstrate and project their posture against fake dealers, “the campaign is for all genuine dealers to help fight the threat and also promote healthy electrical products and electronic appliances”.

He also charged regulators to adopt pragmatic systems to police the market and work together with dealers. “We must work together to protect the image of the industry and investors”.

Mr Ameyibor said the campaign emanated from the fact that the proliferation of counterfeit electrical goods and products in the country was assuming an alarming proportion and “we are all at risk”.

He said the campaign which takes the form of workshops, exhibition and survey started in December 2017 but stressed that, despite the good intentions of the campaign, it was being constrained with sponsorship and other machinations to stop it.

He appealed to genuine dealers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to join the campaign with financial and other logistical supports; “standout, be counted as a dealer in genuine electrical products and electronic appliances, let us sanitise the industry, and protect lives and properties.

“We need more partners to contact and join forces with CDA Consult through email: communicate2develop@gmail.com so that collectively we can deal with the canker of fake electrical products and electronic appliances dealers who have found fertile ground for operating in Ghana”.

Mr Ameyibor said the Board and Management of CDA Consult believed that the platform being created would help reduce the market share of the counterfeiters and inject the highest standards of professionalism, efficiency and respect for people.

He acknowledged the contributions of key public institutions, including; the Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Standards Authority and the Ghana Police Service, among others, for providing resource persons for the campaign.

The CDA Consult campaign focuses on equipping public officials with basic information to recognise electrical counterfeit items at first sight, ensure that officials take stiffer actions against dealers in counterfeit electrical products, and also equip electricians and retailers to be able to distinguish fake from genuine electrical products.

The national campaign against the proliferation and use of counterfeit electrical products also aim at discouraging the patronage of counterfeit electrical products and to direct taste towards genuine electrical products