The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has revealed that the cause of recent buildings collapsing in the country can be blamed on inferior building materials on the market.
In a letter addressed to The Chronicle to raise awareness, the Chief Executive Officer, CPA, Mr. Kofi Kapito, intimated that the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must stamp its authority to address the danger it poses to structural integrity.
He stated that the CPA was “disappointed” that the three cement companies shut down by the GSA “did not respect the authority and power of the GSA.”
According to the CPA, its investigations have revealed that the 12mm iron rods are allegedly sold to the consumer as 15mm, despite the critical role that material plays in the safety of buildings.
“We are asking the Ghana Standards Authority to conduct tests on all iron roads and cement imported or locally manufactured in the country,” the CPA told The Chronicle.
The Consumer Protection Agency has also advised against powerful hands interfering with the mandate of the regulator, GSA, in insisting on quality building materials in the country.
The Agency has since threatened to “expose” persons who may interfere with the work of GSA, including political figures.
Kofi Kapito said, “We are also advising anyone who interferes with the mandate of the Ghana Standards Authority for executing its responsibility to stop immediately, be it a politician or government official. The CPA will expose persons who interfere with the work of GSA on behalf of the people of Ghana.”
Acknowledging that it was time to support the GSA to execute its mandate, the CPA assured the public that it would monitor the activities of that institution.
BACKGROUND
The Director-General of the GSA, Professor Alex Dodoo, told the Daily Graphic that it shut down the three cement companies in the Ashanti region as part of the ongoing cement quality audits and surveillance.
He said officers from GSA visited the factories to inspect and sample bagged cements as well as constituent materials (raw materials) used for the production of cement for laboratory tests.
The test results indicated that either limestone or gypsum did not conform to the requirements for calcium carbonate content in the product, and mineral identification analysis also showed that the sample was feldspar and quartz.
Prof. Dodoo explained that Feldspar and Quartz were not recommended as major constituents of cement and, as such, their use as major constituents by some cement manufacturers should be stopped forthright.
The exercise, he said, was to address the government’s concerns about standards, quality assurance, and environmental safeguards in cement production.
“What we are doing is ensuring fair trade and stability in the manufacturing space. We stand a chance of making this country a hub for manufacturing for the global market, and trust is key for any major player who wants to invest in the country,” the Director-General said.
