Rhoda Appiah, Head of Communications and Public Education at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has called on Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana to embrace regulatory compliance as a critical enabler of trade and competitiveness.

Mrs. Appiah noted that the inability of MSMEs to meet international standards locks Ghanaian products out of export markets and deprives the country of much-needed foreign exchange.

She said, “If our foods do not meet international standards, we cannot export — and we lose the chance to earn vital foreign exchange.” 

However, by perceiving regulatory compliance not as a bureaucratic bottleneck but as a tool for economic empowerment, Mrs. Appiah maintained that MSMEs could identify the right support, enabling them to compete, grow, and attract crucial foreign exchange for national development.

Mrs. Appiah made these remarks during a UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) webinar held in collaboration with WTS Nobisfields, under the theme “The Role of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in Promoting Local and International Trade.”

Progressive Licensing: A Bridge, Not a Barrier

The FDA’s Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) emerged as a central theme during the webinar. Designed to help micro and small enterprises enter and scale within the formal economy, the PLS allows businesses with limited capacity to begin operations under basic compliance and improve step by step.

“Compliance doesn’t have to be intimidating,” said Esther Amufa, also of the FDA. “The scheme allows businesses to meet regulatory standards gradually — through pink, yellow and green stages — each building toward full compliance without overwhelming financial or logistical pressure.”

Through this approach, the FDA has registered over 10,500 products and licensed more than 2,300 facilities since 2019.

Buy Ghana, Love Ghana: Local Brands, Global Standards

The PLS is closely tied to the Buy Ghana, Love Ghana campaign, which encourages major retailers to showcase FDA-compliant local products. This initiative has improved visibility and consumer trust in Made-in-Ghana goods, and enhanced market access for MSMEs.

According to Miss Amufa, “We’ve partnered with supermarkets like Palace Mall to create dedicated shelves for local products, especially during festive seasons. But we also provide training on packaging, barcoding, and labelling — everything needed to be retail-ready.”

Infrastructure, Innovation and Global Partnerships

The FDA, now over 28 years old, is internationally recognised and ISO-accredited, with the largest scope of accredited testing laboratories under one roof in Africa. Its work is benchmarked by WHO standards and supported through collaborations with the European Medicines Agency, the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), and NEPAD.

Mrs. Appiah added that FDA’s operations span Ghana’s seaports, airports, and border posts, facilitating efficient regulation of imports and exports, and ensuring consumer protection across the supply chain.

The authority is also embracing digital transformation, with an AI-powered registration system and a soon-to-be-launched one-stop harmonised certification portal in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).

Moderated by Theophilus Tawiah, Managing Partner of WTS Nobisfields and law lecturer at UPSA, the webinar forms part of UKGCC’s ongoing series on regulatory reform and competitiveness of businesses in Ghana.