By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Feb. 20, GNA – A two-day workshop has been held for policymakers (institutions responsible for developing policy) and private actors to dialogue and better understand their operations for easier implementation of policies related to the agricultural sector.
The workshop dubbed: “Public-Private Dialogue” (PPD) was also to ensure that such policies were implemented efficiently where the policymakers (public institutions responsible for policy implementation) were able to enforce the policies while the private actors, who were supposed to benefit from those policies, were also complying.
It was organised by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Feed the Future Ghana Market Systems and Resilience (MSR) Activity, which focuses on strengthening commercial relationships between market actors, and related agro-businesses to expand agribusiness to improve local economic governance in the northern part of the country.
The workshop, which ended in Tamale, was attended by representatives from civil society organisations, Ministry of Food Agriculture, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savanna Agriculture Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), University for Development Studies (UDS), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Department, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, National Seed Trade Association of Ghana, Out-grower Businesses (OBs) and OB Networks representative amongst others.
Mr Cecil Osei, Deputy Chief of Party, USAID MSR Activity, speaking at the workshop, said it was to ensure that policies and regulations were working well within the zone of influence of the USAID MSR Activity.
Mr Osei said, “the objective is to ensure that the participants know one another, work together and there is a single or a common PPD platform by which they can discuss issues.
He added: “The platforms will also establish participatory and investor-friendly agriculture and food regulatory systems acceptable to both regulatory agencies and actors within the agriculture sector in Northern Ghana.”
The PPD platform would help to establish trust among stakeholders and initiate continued dialogue on key policies and regulations that promoted agribusiness market performance.
It would also catalyse action among market actors for an improved enabling environment to drive an inclusive agricultural-led economic growth in the northern part of the country.
Mr Osei said, “We will establish smaller platforms in the districts where stakeholders will meet and discuss these regulations and policies and how best to enforce them to regulate without alienating or persecuting or people feeling persecuted because of the manner the regulators conduct their work.”
He added that, “Some of the things that we are looking at include the use of weights and measurements, and food safety issues that the regulators must look out for to ensure that it is good for consumption.”
Mr Zakaria Braimah, Northern Regional Director of FDA lauded the workshop saying, “It is a good initiative bringing all stakeholders together to share ideas. We made presentations on our mandate, enabling laws, and key activities. So, everybody now gets to know our mandate. Then, we now see how we can collaborate effectively to enhance our work.”
Dr Mohammed Mujitaba Dawuda, Senior Lecturer, Department of Horticulture, UDS said: “The workshop is very important. Almost all stakeholders are represented. This enables collaboration. As we discuss issues, we get to know more about where we should do more. We get to know more about what others are doing and how we can work together to bring the progress that we need.”
Dr Francis Kusi, Director, CSIR-SARI said the workshop was good for the agricultural value chain as we were able, “To identify the various laws and regulations that either promote or hinder what we do, and also brainstorm to see when it will be done to ensure that we discharge our duties from the various disciplines so that we can all get the desired impact.”
GNA