The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has commenced the standardisation of electronic appliances and other goods to promote trade within the sub-region.
The three-day event, holding in Accra, Ghana, is expected to focus on low energy consuming appliances, in a bid to check the prevalent energy crisis among member countries
The effort will facilitate the easy import and export of electronic appliances, building materials, agricultural inputs among other goods within the 15 ECOWAS member countries.
The Director for Industry for the ECOWAS Commission, Mensan Lawson- Hechelli, said, at the event on Monday, that the standardisation process once completed will protect consumers and industries from financial losses, as well as facilitate trade among member countries.
“This is just a step as you know ECOWAS we are on our way to build a common market so if you are moving from one country to another not only persons but also goods and services will be able to move across borders easily so we can trade better and get better interest,” he said.
Ghana has, in recent times, faced periods of load shedding due to insufficient energy supply.
The use of gadgets which consume high amounts of energy has also been blamed for the development.
The situation led to the collapse of numerous businesses.
Mensan Lawson- Hechelli, who spoke to Ghana’s Citi Business News at the sidelines of the meeting of the ECOWAS Technical Harmonisation Committee, also asserted that the move will bring uniformity within the sub-region.
“So this programme is to support such common market to have products ready from one country to another with accepted standards, mutual standards so we have the same things across borders and we call it ECOWAS Standard,” he added.
The countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Some of the participants. 