The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) intends to impose a total ban on import of used innerwear into the country from January 2013 onwards, through execution of the Legislative Instrument (LI 1586) of 1994 in its totality.
The step has become inevitable after the GSA discovered that in spite of the ban imposed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, importers of used clothing are still shipping in used innerwear.
Innerwear like brassieres, singlet, panties and handkerchiefs are hidden within other used clothing items like trousers, jackets and shirts, which are imported in bulk, which makes it difficult to detect the same at the ports.
GSA is trying hard to reduce imports of used innerwear by initiating various steps like intensifying market surveillance, launching joint efforts with stakeholders like importers and dealers association and educating public on dangers of using such used innerwear, Mr. Charles Amoako, Director, Inspectorate Division of the GSA, said while speaking at a seminar held to educate people regarding the health risks of using second-hand innerwear.
GSA believes that joint efforts by all stakeholders can greatly curb imports of such items, bringing it to the bare minimum level, Mr. Amoako said.
He said used innerwear exposes its users to several kinds of infectious bacteria, which may give rise to various skin and other diseases.
Mr. Ntim Donkoh, Acting Director for Trade Facilitation at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said the public education forums aim to acquaint people on dangers of used innerwear and to stop them from patronizing the same, and thereby to discourage the importers and traders.
Some participants at the seminar urged the GSA to raise its market surveillance activities to make sure that all goods entering the country satisfy the quality norms.
Mr. Amoako said that to overcome the menace, GSA is considering introducing additional measures like collaborating with security agencies to undertake inspection of all consignments of used clothing before being released at the various ports and entry points. It proposes to seize any consignment found containing used innerwear.
Raising concern over high prices of new innerwear, some participants urged the GSA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry to urge the Government to cut prices of new innerwear items.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
