The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework of cooperation between the two parties to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to formalize their businesses.
The agreement was signed by NBSSI Executive Director, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh and Chief Executive Officer of the FDA Delesi Mimi Darko, in Accra.
Under the MoU, the NBSSI and FDA will ensure that products of clients placed on the Ghanaian market are manufactured taking cognisance of good manufacturing practices.
FDA will also train NBSSI Staff in basic procedures, labelling requirements and registration procedures to ensure they have a better understanding of the FDA requirements to enable them to pass the information onto the clients of NBSSI.
“We view this formalized collaboration between NBSSI and FDA as an opportunity to promote efficiency as we deliver our mandate regarding a one-stop-shop support to MSMEs, to ensure their products are of the right quality, safe, efficacious, and meet acceptable and international standards,” explained Mrs Yankey-Ayeh.
This collaboration is important for the NBSSI Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works Partnership that seeks to strengthen MSMEs, young Ghanaians and women-focused interventions.
Both NBSSI and FDA have presence in all the 16 Regions of Ghana.
“We have resolved to collaborate with NBSSI in activities to ensure that product/services that fall under the mandate of the FDA are manufactured, exported, sold and distributed under the right conditions in accordance with the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) and its accompanying regulations,” highlighted Mrs Darko.
“This will ensure an exposure locally and internationally that improves and increases the access to markets of Ghanaian MSMEs,” she added.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri