Dr. Mensah Abrampa (Right), Madam Swaniker (Middle) and Prof Dodoo at the event
PROFESSOR ALEXANDER Dodoo, Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority, has says his outfit will formalise the operations of master craft persons in the country through a Precision Quality (PQ) Policy.
The formalisation, subject to approval of his superiors, he said would be in the area of skills acquisition, safety of practice and the endorsement of products based on PQ standards.
This he said would help ensure proper monitoring of operations which would consequentially lead to upgrading of skills, improved customer services and the development of goodwill that can guarantee access to jobs.
He was speaking as a panellist in Accra on Thursday at a Precision Quality Market Conference which was organised by the Design and Technology Institute (DTI) and the Mastercard Foundation under the Transforming Youth TVET Livelihood for Sustainable Project.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Design and Technology Institute (DTI), Constance Swaniker said that the successful design and implementation of policies for Master craft persons would require the change of mindset which included abiding by regulations and allow for precision in all operations.
She mentioned the need for education on understanding customer rights while also expressing concerns over how lack of precision quality and bad attitude has robbed of Ghanaians the available jobs which are given to expatriates.
The Director General of National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Kodjo Mensah-Abrampa emphasizes the need to harmonise policy documents on standards while seeing to the implementation of such policies.
He urged master craft persons to regularize their operations with relevant authorities in order to afford them the opportunity to qualify for lucrative business offers.
President of Greater Accra Market Association, Manye Mercy Afrowa Needjan advised regulators to adopt a participatory approach in designing and implementing policies on precision quality so as to get the buy-in of players within the informal sector whose ability to understand such documents are hindered by language barrier.
She further called for the periodic sensitization of players by regulators on the need to adhere to standards in their operations.
“Even though ignorant is not an excuse, the ignorance of the one in the informal sector is a big excuse” she said.
The General Secretary of the Association of Small-Scale Industries, Abdallah Alhassan observed that most organisations who provide artisanal training to the youth fail to inculcate precision quality in the module.
This he said has led to the situation of growing master craft persons who are bereft of knowledge on precision quality.
Other participants at the forum called on regulators to among other things check the importation of sub-standard materials, conduct regular field works to inspect activities of dealers in sub-standard merchandise and also help check the incessant arrest of craft persons due to poor quality of work.
BY Issah Mohammed