Ghana’s export sector has been steadily growing over the last four years, mainly driven by the extractive industry and key agro-forestry products, such as tropical fruit or wood. However, border rejection rates of Ghanaian exports to the EU and the US due to non-compliance with international standards are still relatively high. Thus, deficiencies in the area of product quality and safety remain important, despite significant progress made with regard to the functioning of the national quality management system over the last years.

The program will aim at a strengthening of key export value chains (fruit/vegetables, cocoa, fish products, wood), which can act as drivers for an improved national quality system and have an important poverty reduction potential.

The program will consist of two broader outcomes:

The national quality system support provide world class conformity assessment services (inspection, standardization and testing) for the fruits, cacao, fish and wood value chains.

Targeted value-chains (fruits, cocoa, fish and wood) improve their export competitiveness by linking to markets and complying with quality and quantity requirements and international standards.

Risultati principali attesi:  

Identification and validation of needs and value chain analysis (fish products, cacao and wood).

The national (quality control) inspection system for the selected value-chains follows best international practice.

Development/adoption and dissemination of standards for selected value-chains.

Certification capacity for product and quality management systems is improved.

Testing laboratories for key products and test scopes in the areas of chemical (soil testing) and pesticide residues are upgraded.

Strengthening Ghana Export Promotion Authority o host a service center for the development of selected value-chains, incl. introduction of national traceability systems.

Capacities and technical expertise of private national experts on international standard compliance and export promotion is improved.

Technical assistance to exporters on conformity assessment, labeling and export promotion is provided.

Risultati fasi precedenti:  

Between 2007 and 2011, the Swiss Government funded a USD 2.4 million project implemented by UNIDO with the objective of strengthening the Ghanaian quality system, including standards, accreditation and conformity assessment. Building upon the positive results achieved during the first phase, this program expands the scope to ensure that upgraded quality and production process management services reach private sector actors throughout the value-chain.

Fase 2 01.01.2013 - 31.12.2018   (Completed)