“No Standards, No Trade”: FDA Warns MSMEs to Embrace Compliance or Miss Export Opportunities

Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has issued a firm reminder to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that regulatory compliance is not optional but fundamental to international trade and national economic growth.

Speaking at a UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) webinar, Rhoda Appiah, Head of Communications and Public Education at the FDA, emphasised that non-compliance effectively locks Ghanaian products out of lucrative export markets, depriving the country of vital foreign exchange earnings.

“If our foods do not meet international standards, we cannot export and we lose the chance to earn vital foreign exchange,” Mrs. Appiah cautioned.

She urged MSMEs to view standards not as bureaucratic bottlenecks but as “tools for economic empowerment”, enabling them to access global markets, attract foreign earnings, and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Progressive Licensing: Compliance Without Overwhelm

Esther Amufa of the FDA highlighted the agency’s Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS) as a practical pathway for MSMEs with limited capacity to gradually meet standards and scale up operations.

“Compliance doesn’t have to be intimidating, the scheme allows businesses to meet regulatory standards gradually through pink, yellow, and green stages each building toward full compliance without overwhelming financial or logistical pressure.”  Amufa explained.

Since 2019, the PLS has helped register over 10,500 products and license more than 2,300 facilities, driving MSME formalisation and sector credibility.

Buy Ghana, Love Ghana: Local Brands, Global Standards

The webinar also spotlighted the Buy Ghana, Love Ghana campaign, which partners major retailers like Palace Mall to dedicate shelf space for FDA-compliant local products, boosting visibility and consumer trust.

“We also provide training on packaging, barcoding, and labelling everything needed to be retail-ready,” Miss Amufa added.

FDA’s Expanding Global Footprint

Now in its 28th year, the FDA operates ISO-accredited labs benchmarked to WHO standards and maintains strategic partnerships with bodies like the European Medicines Agency and NEPAD. Its operations span Ghana’s seaports, airports, and border posts, ensuring both consumer protection and efficient export facilitation.

The authority is also embracing digital transformation, introducing an AI-powered registration system and preparing to launch a one-stop harmonised certification portal with the Ghana Standards Authority to ease compliance processes for businesses.

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