The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Shippers Authority are deepening collaboration to enhance operations of the import and export of FDA-regulated products at the ports and borders.

Delese Mimi Darko, the Chief Executive Officer of FDA, said her outfit was willing to work with the Shippers Authority to ensure the facilitation of trade and the protection of consumers.

Mrs Darko was speaking during a courtesy call on the FDA by officials of the Shippers Authority to familiarise themselves with the reviewed FDA operational fees and charges, among other issues.

She said the FDA was always in readiness to collaborate with relevant institutions and stakeholders to ensure that businesses were positively projected and promoted without compromising public health and safety.

Benonita Bismarck, the CEO of the Shippers Authority, commended the FDA for its sterling performance and pledged its willingness to collaborate with the FDA.

She said the visit would bring clarity to concerns raised by their stakeholders following the introduction of the new fees and charges.

Some of the concerns, she said, were on the importation of frozen products, small scale exporter fees, and others.

In a presentation, Yaw Kwateng of the FDA, said the review of the fees and charges went through Parliament, the Executive, Ministry of Finance and other relevant bodies, as well as extensive stakeholder engagements.

He said registration fees for imported products had been drastically reduced to make it easier for all to register so as to avoid smuggling of unregistered products onto the Ghanaian market.  

He also explained that the introduction of CIF value charges on imported regulated products.

He noted that the quality, efficacy, performance, and safety of unregistered products could not be guaranteed, and might pose a health risk to consumers.

The two institutions considered ways of collaborating to ensure that both import and export processes were handled appropriately to reduce cost and time while still maintaining effectiveness and the quality of service.