By Albert Allotey
Accra, Sept. 27, GNA – The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the course of the development and institutionalisation of code of conduct for public officials, to prevent particularly the tobacco industry from interfering in policies.
Dr Martin Kuai, the Acting Director, Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Directorate of the FDA made the remark at a strategic stakeholders’ meeting on the development and institutionalisation of Code of Conduct for Public Officials in Ghana.
It was organised by Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana (VAST Ghana), a public health advocate and supported by Vita Strategies on behalf of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Dr Kusi said tobacco use remained one of the leading preventable cause of diseases and death globally.
He noted that Ghana, as a country, had made strides in confronting the burden of the diseases from the enactment and passage of the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851), Tobacco Control Regulations LI 2247, National Tobacco Strategy, among other public documents.
He said the formation of effective public health policy to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) depended on the ability to insulate that process from commercial vested interest of the tobacco industry.
“Across the world tobacco industry interference had delayed, weaken or all together delayed public health legislation that was designed to save lives. This is exactly why Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) exists,” the Director stated.
Adding, “So, the FDA, the Ministry of Health (MoH), and key international partners have taken steps to strengthen Ghana’s implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC and to protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.”
Dr Kusi said the FDA had worked through the Tobacco Control Inter-Agencies Coordinating Committee, a broader working group and stakeholder consultations, involving the MoH, the Public Services Commission, Office of the Head of Civil Service, VAST Ghana, and WHO Ghana on the code of conduct.
“The development of the code of conduct has been participatory, drawing technical inputs and practical expertise from CSOs, academia, professional bodies, development partners, and other stakeholders,” he pointed out.
He said the implementation of the code did not rest with government alone and that the framework required that CSOs were envisaged as important partners in monitoring tobacco industry activities, providing transparency, and contributing to feedback.
Dr Kusi expressed gratitude to VAST Ghana for organising the meeting to keep the issue in public conversation, while calling on CSOs to be committed to providing powerful ideas and that public interest must never be sacrifice to commercial vested interests.
Mr Christian Nii Ayi Welbeck, a Revenue Officer of the Ghana Revenue Authority in a message expressed the Authority’s support for the implementation of the code of conduct.
He said when passed would help in the fight of the consumption of tobacco.
He said most of the NCD diseases, such as hypertension, heart diseases, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers among others, caused the country GHc668 million every year, equivalent to 0.2 per cent of the country’s GDP.
“It is against this backdrop that the GRA fully support the use of code of conduct for public officials as means of limiting the use of tobacco and to promote prevention,” he said.
He added that Ghana passed the Excise Amendment Act No.2 (Act 2023), Act 1108, and Excise Duty Act 2026 (Act 1180) as part of its excise tax reforms to help aligned with ECOWAS Protocol.
He said GRA experience including research by VAST Ghana showed that tobacco taxes have delivered results in raising revenue, reducing harmful consumption, and supporting better health, including reduction of tobacco prevalence.
Mr Labram Musah, the Executive Director of VAST Ghana in a welcoming address said tobacco industry interference continued to present a significant challenge to effective tobacco control.
He stated that the industry and entities/front groups working to advance its interests have a commercial interest in influencing policies and regulatory processes that affect tobacco control efforts.
“This creates public health concern because tobacco control policies must prioritize the protection of health and the prevention of tobacco-related diseases,” he pointed out.
Mr Musah said the Tobacco Control Measures of the Public Health Act, 2012, (Act 851), and the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016, (L.I. 2247), among others provide that interactions between public officials and the tobacco industry should occur only when strictly necessary for the effective regulation of the tobacco industry and tobacco products.
“The question before us, therefore, is how we translate these principles into practical institutional systems that public officials can understand, apply, and consistently follow.
“Hence the development and institutionalization of a Code of Conduct become very important. A well-designed Code of Conduct can provide practical guidance on when interaction with the tobacco industry may be necessary.
“How such interactions should take place, what information should be disclosed, how conflicts of interest should be managed, and what safeguards should apply to partnerships, incentives, gifts, contributions, and other forms of engagement.”
The Executive Director commended the leadership of the Ministry of Health, through the FDA, for initiating the process toward the development of the draft Code of Conduct for public officials.
VAST Ghana presented Fact Sheet on Code of Conduct to stakeholders to guide them in their deliberations on the issue and to prevent tobacco industry interference.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
27 September 2026