The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), on Friday closed down a factory that was allegedly manufacturing Gas cylinders in a swoop at Oyarifa in the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.
The operation which was conducted in collaboration with the Police following a tip off was conducted by a team that arrived at the site at 11 am, when the workers numbering about eight were busily working on semi completed cylinders.
About 300 have already been sprayed and neatly packed in a corner for distribution while some 2000 more yet to be worked on were packed outside the factory.
A closer look at the cylinders had Ghana embossed on them with others portions also scrapped to hide an identity which the GSA officials mention as Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC) though the cylinders were not produced by the GCMC.
The factory which is being operated in a warehouse has no inscriptions or office, while the workers were also reluctant to mention the name of the owner.
Just as the workers were packing the uncompleted cylinders into the factory for the place to be locked up, a young man who claimed to be the owner emerged.
Even though he claimed to have a licence, he failed to produce it, and was asked to report to the GSA and the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Servicer for further questioning.
Mr George Anti, the Head of the Business Development of GSA, who led the team, indicated that the Authority could not ascertain the safety standard of the product hence the closure of the factory.
According to him, the company had not been approved by the GSA or licensed by the requisite authorities as such could not be allowed to operate.
Mr Anti stated that Ghana was a country opened to legitimate business and anyone who cut corners would not be allowed.
“The GSA would not condon any clandestine activity that poses danger to the citizenry, through the sale and distribution of prohibited goods,” he added.
He said the place would be under lock until further notice with police guard and indicated that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.
“The country has laws, these cylinders were brought into the country in the name of GCMC, even though the company has abrogated its contract with the parent company in China,” he stated.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
