The Ghana Standards Board (GSB) says there will be no compromise in enforcing the law on importation of used undergarment and sanitary ware after the February 1, 2011 deadline. The Board will be deploying random sampling and container risk management at the ports to enforce compliance of the 1994 legislative instrument prohibiting importation, distribution and sale of used men, women and children's undergarment. Importers and retailers of used clothing in Kumasi have pleaded for additional time to enable them take delivery of already imported goods. Officials of GSB however say there have been enough engagements with the Association of Importers and Dealers of Used Clothing to allow for clearance of already imported consignments. Mr. Kofi Nagetey, Acting Director at the Inspectorate Division of the GSB, says any consignment of used clothing at the entry ports, from the first quarter of next year, would be confiscated and destroyed, whilst culpable importers will be penalized. “It’s not that we’re going to chase you to the market and seize your things but the importation of used undergarment are going to cease… then after that date, we shall also be doing our market surveillance to see whether we have people smuggling the goods”, he stated. In another twist, a local Chairman of the Used Clothing Retailers Association is contesting the notion that undergarments are a good source of micro organisms that can cause skin infection. According to the Ghana Standards Board, people who patronize used undergarments risk bacterial and fungal infections that usually affect the skin. Infections include jock itch in the groin area, athlete’s foot, candidiasis and yeast infections in the vagina. But Mr. Daniel Ankomah says this cannot be true because “the used clothes are sprayed [with disinfectants] in the exporting country. I’ve been to some factories in Hamburg and the goods are sprayed and inspected by experts before exporting”. He says the authorities should rather focus attention on poor environmental sanitation which poses serious health risks to the populace, emphasizing that “no medical facility has reported ailments associated with wearing of used under clothing”. Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana