The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has appealed to the government to allow the institution retain all or at least some of its internally generated funds (IGF), including service charges.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FDA, Dr. Delese Darko, made this request during the Authority's inaugural stakeholder meeting, where they discussed regulatory activities and their achievements in 2022.

According to the CEO, this will enhance the financial capabilities of the Authority, allowing it to effectively fulfill its responsibilities. Dr. Darko also stressed on the need for improved conditions of service in order to retain highly skilled staff within the organization.

Additionally, the Authority advocated for a standalone Act to guide its operations, accommodating changes in the regulatory landscape and aligning with international best practices.

The FDA acknowledged some challenges, such as inadequate inspection vehicles, aging laboratory equipment, and the absence of an ICUMS module for processing exports.

The gathering served as a platform for the FDA to interact with stakeholders, receive feedback on their performance, identify areas for improvement, and raise awareness about the Authority's role in safeguarding public health and safety.

The FDA highlighted its achievements in 2022, comparing them to those of 2021. Notably, the number of facilities inspected increased by 24% to 9,829 in 2022 from 7,913 in 2021. Import and export controls also saw a significant 36% growth in FDA operations.

The Authority addressed various topics during the meeting, including the licensing of street food vendors, market surveillance activities, and product quality testing conducted in 2022.

As part of its role to advise the Health Minister on consumer protection measures, the FDA proposed amendments to certain sections of the Public Health Act 851.

With regards to achievements of the FDA, they included expanding the Centre for Laboratory Services and Research's (CLSR) ISO 17025:2017 accreditation, accrediting the Food Laboratory for the first time, and achieving WHO GBT ML4 status for the Drugs Laboratory.

Other achievements encompassed operationalizing the joint application system with the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) for simultaneous FDA registration and GSA certification.

The FDA also opened new offices for enhanced client accessibility and launched the ProPer Platform with ProPer Alliance, allowing consumers to verify the registration status of FDA-regulated products and exercise batch control.

Dr. Darko assured stakeholders of the FDA's commitment to enhancing its regulatory processes. Attendees at the meeting included members of the FDA Governing Board, representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, GSA, Customs, SIGA, and various trade organizations.