A statement from the GSA reminded all importers and the general public that Legislative Instruments (L.I. 1586) of 1994 and (L.I. 1693) of 2001 were still in force.

It said the reminder had become necessary following recent media reports on the illegal activities being undertaken at some entry points.

“By this announcement, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), is put on notice to strictly enforce the law at all the entry points,” it said.

LI 1586 covers the Imports and Exports (Prohibited Goods) (No. 2) Regulations, 1994, states that “No person shall import for commercial purpose or in commercial quantities any of the following goods which are second hand or which have been used – handkerchiefs; men and women and children’s underpants; mattresses and sanitary ware”.

“A person who imports any goods contrary to the regulation above commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding GHC500, 000 [Old Currency] or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both and the goods in respect of which the offence was committed shall be liable to be seized and forfeited to the State.”

L.I. 1693 covers the Export and Import (Prohibition of Importation of used LPG cylinders) Instrument, 2001 says “In exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister responsible for Trade under sections 12 and 13 (a) of the Export and Import Act, 1995 (ACT 503) this instrument is made on this day of July, 2001.

“Prohibition of importation of used LPG cylinders. The importation of Used Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Cylinders is hereby prohibited.”

The public can contact the Public Relations Department of the Ghana Standards Authority for any further information, the statement added.
–
Source: GNA

The post GSA calls for strict enforcement of legislation on second hand goods appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“My guess is that, if you want to demonstrate how reprehensive morally this thing is, you would want to resign. That is one way of showing that you don’t want this to happen,” he said on The Big Issue.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jEjzBhZVPeKg4TAr5capSkdQTrHMZAG4″]Following the explosion, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) boss, Hassan Tampuli, revealed that his outfit had identified some safety lapses at the MANSCO Liquefied Petroleum Gas station, where the explosion occurred, and had written to the station, among others, to rectify the lapses by September 4.

The NPA noted that, there was too much activity on the forecourt around the cylinder filling and auto gas area, and that there was a lack of safety signs and the absence of a waiting area for customers.

The Environmental Protection Agency admitted some culpability, but said some other agencies also had various roles to play in regulating the operations of the station.

Given that the lapses as admitted by the NPA led to seven deaths with 132 injured, Mr. Akumperigya insisted that, the country appears to be shying away from the institutional failings that led to the disaster.

“If someone causes the death of another person, there should be something higher for the person to pay, and the least you can pay is to resign from your position or be sacked. I think that their position is already untenable to the extent that, these were existing factors prior to the fire, and that immediate causative factor was exactly what was diagnosed by the NPA.”

Last chance for NPA Boss, others

Also speaking on The Big Issue, the Executive Director of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, Duncan Amoah, noted that, recent directives from the President to bolster the safety in LPG distribution were effectively a final chance to the heads of organisations like the EPA, the NPA, and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).

“What this Cabinet resolution is doing to the NPA, GSA and the EPA is saying that, if there are any more accidents today or tomorrow, those authority heads should no longer sit in those offices because their terms will be untenable… If people had been punished [after the June 3 disaster and other explosions], we probably wouldn’t have gotten here,” Mr. Amoah said.

Directives from the President

In the wake of that Atomic explosion and the subsequent pressure from the public, President Akufo-Addo directed the following:

1. immediate inspection of all gas stations and the vigorous enforcement of existing regulations by the National Petroleum Authority;
2. review of the current licensing regime to ensure that only those with demonstrable capacity and competence engage in the LPG distribution business;
3. institution of mandatory training and certification of the staff of Regulators, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and LPG Marketing Companies to ensure the safe handling of LPG;
4. review the safety protocols along the entire value chain through the combined efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), National Fire Service (NFS), Town and Country Planning Department of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and the Factories Inspectorate Department of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations;
5. deployment of a task force, within 30 days, to assess the risk that our current LPG infrastructure poses in terms of public health and safety. High risk stations will be immediately closed down, in accordance with relevant law and without regard to any political or special interests. Low risk stations will be designated for the supply of gas for vehicles with improved safety standards;
6. the immediate incorporation of standards and guidelines developed by Ghana Standards Authority on the handling, storage and distribution of LPG and other petroleum products as technical regulations to strengthen the enforcement regime;
7. the recruitment by NPA of 200 safety auditors to join the staff of the Factories Inspectorate Department of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to check regularly on all stations to ensure full compliance with safety standards and practices;
8. expedition of action by the Fire Service and the Police Service of on-going investigations. Any operator or regulatory official, against whom any act of criminal negligence is established, will face the full rigors of the law;
9. immediate cessation, until further notice, of all construction of facilities intended for use as gas or petroleum retail stations.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Some officials should’ve been fired for Atomic explosion – Lawyer appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ghana has recorded about eight gas explosions in the last four years with the recent one occurring at Atomic Junction in Accra on Saturday reigniting pressure on government to control the establishment of fuel stations in residential and commercial areas.

Speaking to Citi News the Executive Director of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Professor Alex Dodoo, who took responsibility for the gas explosion, said his outfit will liaise with other sector agencies to curb the situation.

“This is about the third time in a very short time. We are all sad and devastated but it is not a time to be sad, this is the time for concrete action. And we want to promise Ghanaians that will take the needed action to ensure that never again because we cannot afford more loss of lives,” he added.

Ghana Standards Authority according to its website is an agency of government responsible for promoting standards, standardization and also undertakes conformity assessment activities in the country.

“These activities ensure that products or goods and services produced in Ghana, whether for local consumption or for export are safe, reliable and are of good quality,” GSA stated on its website.

Pro. Dodoo also called for support from Ghanaians in order to ensure adequate safety for Ghanaians.

“We are responsible, the blame should be thrown at our doorsteps and what we are saying is that we own up and we are going to fix this problem. What we just want to assure Ghanaians is that this is unfortunate and we are sad about that but being sad is not enough – fixing it and making sure that it doesn’t happen again is a responsible thing to do and that is what we want to do. And all we are asking for is support and understanding,” Prof. Dodoo added.

Fireball scare at Atomic junction

A gas filling station at Atomic Junction in Accra exploded on Saturday.

Residents were thrown into a state of pandemonium following the piercing sound of the explosion as well as the giant scary fireball that was formed in the sky.

Students of the University of Ghana and PRESEC fled for their lives.

Personnel from the Fire Service battled to put off the fire, but it was completely doused on Sunday morning.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Gas explosions: We’ll tackle safety issues seriously – Standards Authority appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Sharing his perspectives on the use of marijuana at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament at its sitting in Accra on Wednesday, Prof. Dodoo said the exportation of marijuana could generate revenue for Ghana.

He was at the PAC to answer questions on the operations of the GSA as captured in the 2015 Auditor General’s Report.

However, he said the security agencies should ensure vigilance to avoid the diversion and abuse of the marijuana in the country.

Answering questions on the standardisation of the production of locally produced beverages, Prof. Dodoo cautioned that much of the locally produced gin, ‘akpeteshie’, contained chemicals that were harmful to consumers.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, who posed the question, expressed concern that many youth in the Upper East Region lost their lives as a result of consuming akpeteshie.

Akpeteshie

Akpeteshie is an alcoholic spirit produced in Ghana by distilling palm wine or sugar cane juice. There are other names for akpeteshie, including Apio and VC10.
Prof. Dodoo said many producers had refused to produce the akpeteshie according to the standards set by the authority because they claimed that consumers preferred the original akpeteshie to the one standardised by the GSA.

He said consumers preferred the original akpeteshie because of its taste and pungent smell.

Local beverages

Prof. Dodoo said the GSA had standards for locally produced beverages, including akpeteshie.

He added that there were companies that came to the GSA for standardisation of locally produced gins but added that producers of akpeteshie who went to the GSA for standardisation opted out along the way because they claimed that the akpeteshie supervised by the authority tasted like gin but “not like the real thing.”
He stated that one difficulty was that some of the producers complained that the fees for the testing and certification were too high.

Besides, he said, many producers of akpeteshie operated on a small scale; hence, they were not willing to come forward to test their gin.

No banning of akpeteshie

Prof. Dodoo said the GSA’s mandate was to set the standards for beverages and other items, while the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) was clothed with the authority to enforce the standards.

Therefore, he said, the GSA would not consider banning the production of akpeteshie but would rather support the industry to remove the harmful chemicals from it.
–
By: Graphic Online/Ghana

The post Marijuana exports could generate revenue for Ghana – Prof. Dodoo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

These OMCs, 57 in number, were fined GHc 261,000 for engaging in various infractions in the Greater Accra Region alone, between September 2016 and August 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”rkzBhV9WBdRa0jrSzVftidyO7kf1xGVM”]Prof. Dodoo noted on the Citi Breakfast Show that there are aspects of the law being enforced that needed to be strengthened, and submissions have been made to the Ministry of Trade and Parliament in this regard.

The GSA is the custodian of the weight and measures act, which has oversight over measurement-related trade.

Of the infractions in question, 45 pump stations served less fuel than the customers purchased, and were fined GHc 5,000. Ten other pump stations used pumps that were not verified by the GSA and were fined GHc3,000. Two other stations were found to have broken nozzles in pumps and were fined GHc 3,000.

As part of possible changes to the law, Prof. Dodoo said his outfit has requested the Minister of Trade to review the fines upwards “so that it would be enough of a deterrent for those who do not comply with regulations.”

He added that: “We have submitted a new Bill and Parliament is going to consider it; that they must be stiffer in the sanctions that apply.”

Till the law changes, he said, “unfortunately, we can only apply the functions as prescribed by law.”

Fairness needed in naming and shaming

Prof. Dodoo stressed that the GSA was in favour of naming and shaming offending companies, subject to parliamentary approval, because “once you start naming, obviously it serves as a deterrent and once we are given the right, we will do that.”

The GSA, however gives the benefit of doubt when infractions are cited, as its “first view is that, it is an honest and genuine mistake or problem,” according to Prof. Dodoo.

“It is important to bring everyone on board so that as you crack the whip, it is seen to be fair and seen to be proportionate. But immediate naming, I think, will be disproportionate. For instance, if you have a company with 200 stations and you have an issue with one, just naming that one out of the 200 may give an impression which may not be in the interest of the business and in the interest of fairness.”

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We can’t name and shame ‘cheating’ OMCs yet – GSA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He assumed office in June after President Akufo-Addo appointed him to serve in that capacity.

As an Associate Professor, Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Advocacy and Training in Pharmacovigilance, Prof Dodoo brings a wealth of diverse experience to his new role, he told the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

He has served for many years in leadership positions in a number of organisations and committees.

He is a member of WHO’s Advisory Committee on the Safety of Medicinal Products as well as the immediate Chairperson of its Global Vaccine Safety Initiative.

He is a member of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependency Disorders and has been supporting regional efforts in harmonisation.

Prof Dodoo has been to a number of African countries to assist their Ministries of Health in the setting up of safety surveillance infrastructure.

He works closely with the African Union and the African Medicines Harmonisation Initiative and currently heads a NEPAD/AU designated Regional Centre for Regulatory Excellence.

Prof Dodoo served for two terms as the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) and for three years as the President of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance, the leading global international scientific organisation for drug and vaccine safety.

Prof Dodoo holds MSc (Biopharmacy) and PhD (Pharmacy) degrees from King College London, University of London, UK and University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

He also spent a year working as a Research Assistant at the University of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada from 1991-1992.

He has a proven record of facilitating long term professional, scientific, technical, and business relationships with both customers and industry luminaries.

He is a Fellow, Ghana College of Pharmacists, Fellow, PSGH, Fellow, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacy, a Registered Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council of the UK and a Member, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

By his new position he will be responsible for the leadership of driving GSA’s vision to become a Model of Excellence in Standardisation in Africa and its mission to promote Standardisation for the improvement of the Quality of Goods, Services and Sound Management practice in Industries and Public Institutions.

Commenting on his appointment, Prof Dodoo says his main aim is to build a world class organisation that is customer-focused.

“I am humbled to be appointed by the President to undertake this critically important role that has the potential to transform industry and commerce in Ghana.

“I want the GSA to be the leading organisation in facilitating trade and improving business practices in Ghana. I want to champion the President’s call for us to expand intra-ECOWAS trade and create jobs in Ghana by making ‘Made in Ghana’ goods the natural choice for everyone,” he said.

Prof Dodoo says he wants the citizenry to patronise Made in Ghana products not just because they are Made in Ghana but because they are of excellent quality and represent value for money.

He said the GSA would work with industry to make this possible in the shortest possible time, adding: “The GSA will also work in improving practices in Ghana so that Ministries, Departments and Agencies will have ISO-certification for their practices and procedures.”

“I am thrilled to be part of the GSA team. We have work to do. We have contributions to make in all sectors of the economy including mining, agriculture, oil and gas, construction and aviation.

“We have a key role to play in modernising agriculture and commerce. We have a responsibility to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of Ghanaians. We have so much to do so the hard work starts now.”

GSA is an Agency that regulates standards in the country and ensures that products and services are safe, reliable and are of good quality.

–
Source: GNA

The post Prof Dodoo appointed head of Ghana Standards Authority appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The day is set aside to honour people who have worked to develop standards that facilitate trade, technological advancement, and also to create awareness on the value of upholding the right standards in all spheres of human endeavour.

Mr George Ben Crentsil, Executive Director of GSA said the theme was chosen to throw light on the fact that, there was the need to ensure that the quality of goods and services are not compromised in order to gain trust.

He said maintaining high standards generated trust because it made consumers certain that they were paying for reliable returns.

Dr Crentsil said the requirements specified in standards for products and services, promoted quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and effectiveness, adding that this was crucial to ensuring trust and harmony in global trade and service provision.

”Let us all throw a challenge to be quality conscious,” the Executive Director said.

Mr Abdul-Karim Lukman, the Chairman for the occasion, said the Day was an opportunity to educate and to work on how to improve products and services in the country.

He said by doing so, prospective consumers would increase their patronage, which would in turn promote the provision of goods and services, thereby generating more revenue for the country.

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry was the special guest of honour for the occassion, and officially launched the programme.

–

Source: GNA

The post Ghana Marks 47th World Standards Day appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

JJ Abrams’ film achieved the feat in 12 days, beating the previous record of 13 days set by Jurassic World in June.

But while Jurassic World had the benefit of record takings in China over the period, The Force Awakens has yet to open there.

Star Wars also scored the biggest US Christmas Day box office takings in history with $49.3m (£33.2m).

The film took $153.5m (£103.5m) in the US in its second weekend, bringing its total domestic haul to $544.6m (£367m).

The weekend’s other releases included the Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg comedy Daddy’s Home, which took $35m (£23.6m).

The Jennifer Lawrence film Joy – which sees the actress reunite with Silver Linings Playbook director David O Russell for the biopic about the creator of the Miracle Mop – took $17.5m (£11.8m).

Point Break, a remake of the 1991 Kathryn Bigelow film starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, flopped however with audiences.

The film, which had a reported budget of $105m (£70.8m), took just $10.2m (£6.9m) across 2.910 venues,

In limited release, Leonardo DiCaprio’s film The Revenant earned $471,000 (£317,000) from four locations, averaging $117,750 (£79,000) per screen.

The actor’s performance as a wilderness guide abandoned after a savage bear attack, is expected to earn him an Oscar nomination next month.

–

Source: BBC

The post New Star Wars film reaches $1bn in record time appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Beasts of No Nation received a special mention, with the young lead getting the BFCC’s rising star award.

[contextly_sidebar id=”oO4A9ZbMChgdOGHjnns7qJ767wsOZrUE”]“The US critics’ association said the Ghanaian’s debut as an African child soldier was “one of the strongest and most phenomenal we have ever seen” and said he had “a very bright future ahead of him”.

Abraham Attah, 14, shot to fame after he won the Marcello Mastroianni’s Best Young Actor Award at the 2015 Venice Film Festival, for his performance in the movie alongside Idris Elba.

Attah Abraham, who is said to be without any acting background, was picked from the streets of Ghana during the shooting of Netflix’s movie “Beasts of No Nation.”

Beasts of No Nation is about a child soldier trapped in a civil war in an unnamed African country.

Abraham recently landed another international movie role, and will be a part of the adventure drama “The Modern Ocean” alongside A-List Hollywood actors including Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves and Daniel Radcliffe.

The Black Film Critics Circle also voted “Creed” as the best film of 2015.

The Rocky spin-off was also given prizes for lead actor Michael B Jordan and for supporting players Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson.

The best ensemble performance award went to Straight Outta Compton, which also won for best original screenplay.

Brie Larson won best actress for Room and George Miller won best director for Mad Max: Fury Road, which also won the best cinematography prize.

Rapper Ice Cube, producer of NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, won a pioneer award for showing “artistic integrity and an unerring commitment to excellence”.

Cube, the BFCC said, “continues to defy expectations [and] expand the boundaries of what black film-makers can achieve”.

The Black Film Critics Circle also released their top 10 films of 2015.

1. Creed
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Straight Outta Compton
4. Spotlight
5. The Martian
6. Room
7. Beasts of No Nation
8. The Hateful Eight
9. The Big Short
10. Ex Machina

Creed sees former boxing champion Rocky Balboa, played by Stallone, serve as trainer and mentor to the son of his late rival Apollo Creed.
–
By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana/with files from BBC

The post Abraham Attah wins 2nd award for role in Beasts of No Nation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The revelation was made at a press briefing organized by the two companies at Global Cinemas at Weija where journalists interacted with cast members and had an exclusive preview of the movie. Written by Nina Lalwani, directed by Pascal Aka, with executive production by Nina and Prakash Lalwani, and associate producers Pascal Aka and Habiba Nelson, Interception will be the first Ghanaian produced action thriller to be premiered at the Global Cinemas at Weija.

Addressing the press at the event, Mr. Kweku Cobbina, Business Manager for Global Cinemas, expressed the company’s excitement for its first major partnership to promote made-in-Ghana movies.

“Global Cinemas is a wholly Ghanaian owned cinema complex that aims to give world class entertainment to Ghanaians while promoting local talent and movie production. We want to stir more interest in Ghanaian movies and this action packed thriller, with all the big names and its high production quality, is comparable to world standards.”

Commenting on the possibility of a similar partnership in the near future, Mr. Cobbina said “We are working on an extended partnership with Nilani. This is just the beginning. The future is bright and we open our arms to others in the industry.”

Mr. Cobbina commended Nilani for their outstanding production of Interception. “I am very impressed with Interception. Nilani over exceeded expectations from the cast to storyline and even the special effects for the stunts. Interception is an amazing job well done and I believe Ghanaians are going to enjoy watching this movie exclusively during the Christmas period at Global Cinemas.

On his part, Prakash Lalwani, Executive Producer of Nilani, said partnering with Global Cinemas will birth better entertainment to Ghanaians. “We are excited to partner with Global Cinemas to debut Interception this December. We are very impressed with the movie halls and the 3D screens with surround sound.

This is a perfect partnership; a Ghanaian movie production house, premiering a Ghanaian blockbuster, in a Ghanaian cinema complex with a state-of-the-art facilities. We look forward to a successful premiere, come December 11, 12 and 13, and to greater partnerships in the near future”.

Starring some of Ghana’s top cast including Adjetey Anang, Chris Attoh, John Dumelo, Ama K. Abebrese, Jasmine Baroudi, Benny Blanco and Pascal Aka, Interception is a law enforcement movie about a tactical team of highly trained ex-military men (Special Ops Team) who have been handpicked by the Vice President of Ghana for special assignments.

“This is, honestly speaking, the best movie I’ve done in my life,” said John Dumelo. “I have been in action movies before but this is actually an action movie.”

“It’s so different from other Ghanaian films that you see out there,” said Ama K. Abebrese. “I think that we just need to show a different side of Africa.”

Nilani Media Productions is a Media Productions and Events Company based in Accra, Ghana. The company is owned by Prakash Lalwani and Nina Lalwani.

Global Cinemas is a new state-of-the-art luxury cinema complex at Weija positioned to offer premium entertainment options to Ghanaians at an affordable price.

–

Credit: Global Cinemas

The post Global cinemas, Nilani media join forces to boost movie industry appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.