Accra, Jan. 27, GNA – The Campaign for Female in Education-Ghana (CAMFED-Ghana) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to help women-led businesses and young entrepreneurs register their products.
The five-year agreement will enable the FDA provide CAMFED clients with training and technical support, processing applications and also grant them market authorisation.
It will also facilitate the growth and success of local industries in line with the “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda as well as CAMFED’s mandate to compliment government’s efforts at prioritising female education and development as young entrepreneurs.
Mrs Delese A. A. Darko, the Chief Executive Officer of FDA, commending the strides made by both organisations, said the MoU would enable the businesses fulfill the needed regulatory requirements as mandated by the Public Health Act 851(2021) under the FDA’s Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) initiative.
She noted that in Ghana, Small and Medium Enterprises played significant roles in the growth of the economy, constituting 92 per cent of the businesses and account for about 85 per cent of manufacturing employment.
Despite the challenges the businesses face in terms of financing, and capacity development, they remain a key driver in Ghana’s industrialisation agenda, especially, with respect to employment of vulnerable groups, including women hence, the FDA’s pursuit to provide the needed support.
Mrs Darko explained that the PLS three-stage colour code certification mechanism aimed at supporting Cottage and Small-scale businesses to grow without compromising on standards.
She said, “as a regulator we are committed to providing training in basic Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) procedures, labelling requirements and registration processes to support burgeoning businesses.
“We hope and trust that this exemplary initiative with CAMFED signals our readiness to partner with like-minded institutions towards reducing the difficulties faced by MSMEs in meeting all regulatory requirements prior to market authorization.”
Mrs Sally Ofori Yeboah, National Director for CAMFED Ghana, expressed gratitude for the collaboration, adding that it would provide opportunities for young people, particularly women in Ghana.
She said CAMFED Ghana, now an implementing partner of the Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works strategy, was focused on finding solutions to the youth employment challenge to reduce poverty in Africa.
The Young Africa Works strategy seeks to enable 30 million young people in Africa, especially, women to secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
She said the partnership with FDA was one of the few programmes to help achieve that target.
She CAMFED was focused on assisting young women in starting and growing enterprises, primarily in agriculture and agribusinesses, food and nutrition, and cosmetics, to create jobs for themselves and others.
CAMFED Ghana works to support the most marginalised girls to finish secondary school, and through its transition programmes help them into post school employment or further education and training.
The FDA is Ghana’s national regulatory body responsible for the regulation of food, drugs, food supplements, herbal and homeopathic medicines, veterinary medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, household chemical substances, tobacco and tobacco products, blood, and blood products as well as the conduct of clinical trial protocols.
GNA
By Samiratu Larbie/Nii Martey Botchway/Lawrencia Mensah