The Ranking Member of Parliament's Committee on Trade, Industry, and Tourism and Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, has called on the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) to strengthen its revenue generation to sustain its operations and enhance its impact.

Mr. Okyere Baafi made the remarks during a working visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry, and Tourism to the Authority, where members engaged management on its operations, achievements, and plans.

Commending the GSA for its growing international recognition and contribution to standards development in Ghana, Mr. Okyere Baafi praised the dedication and professionalism of the Authority's staff.

"The Ghana Standards Authority has reached a stage where it is highly recognised beyond our borders because of your efforts and hard work. We want to commend you for that," he said.

Despite the Authority's achievements, he emphasised the need for the GSA to enhance internally generated revenue to support its expanding responsibilities and ensure long-term sustainability.

"We want to see that you have achieved a lot in terms of generating more revenue to be able to keep your business going," he stated. "The work you do is enormous and demands substantial resources to enable you to push your agenda and achieve your ultimate objectives."

According to Mr. Okyere Baafi, there are provisions within existing legislation that could be activated to create additional revenue streams for the authority.

He pointed to recent efforts by other public institutions, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which have leveraged legal provisions within their operational frameworks to improve revenue mobilisation.

"There are a lot of places or clauses in the law that need to be activated. We see agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency making use of provisions within their legal framework to generate more resources. The Ghana Standards Authority can do more," he noted.

Mr. Okyere Baafi expressed confidence in the authority's ability to achieve this objective, citing the wealth of expertise available within the organisation. He described GSA personnel as highly experienced professionals with deep knowledge of standards and conformity assessment systems.

"You have very experienced people who understand the system and the technical aspects of standards and conformity assessment. They should be supported to push this agenda and help generate more funds for the authority," he said.

He also lauded the leadership of the authority, highlighting the contributions of the Board Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director-General to national development.

Mr. Okyere Baafi noted that the trio is highly knowledgeable and experienced, has made significant contributions to the country’s development, and is well-positioned to continue advancing the Authority’s agenda.

The visit forms part of the Committee's oversight responsibility to assess the operations of agencies under its purview and explore ways of supporting them to deliver effectively on their mandates.