Parliament Ratifies ECOWAS Regulations

Ghana’s Parliament has ratified two ECOWAS regulations, Regulation C/REG/22/ 11/10 Establishing Community Procedures for Management of Veterinary Drug or Biologics and Directive C/DIR.1/11/10 on ECOWAS Veterinary Pharmacy on Quality Control.

Regulation C/REG/22/ 11/10 is aimed at harmonizing existing national laws for enhanced agricultural production and productivity.

It is also aimed at promoting regional trade in agricultural inputs and commodities as well as regional integration.

Presenting the Committee of Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs report for Parliaments ratification, Chairman of the Committee, Kwame Asafu-Agyei said the implementation of a harmonious law would maximize the effectiveness of laboratories and minimize the risks to animal and human health in the ECOWAS sub region.

According to the Committee’s report, seven countries including Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo have already gazetted the harmonized directives establishing the community procedures for management of the veterinary drugs and biologics.

Ghana, Niger and Gambia are in the process of doing same.

Benefits of Ghana’s ratification and its subsequent gazette of the directive include timely facilitation and convenient access by livestock farmers and veterinary authorities to quality drugs and biologics.

It will also encourage private investment in the veterinary drugs and biologics industry and ensure availability of good quality veterinary drugs among several other benefits.

The ratification of the regulation by Parliament thus paves the way for Ghana who is a member State of ECOWAS to gazette it is the National gazette in accordance with article 64 of the Regulations for implementation.

Directive C/REG/22/11/10 on ECOWAS Veterinary Pharmacy on Quality Control on the other hand is geared towards ensuring a uniform procedure for the management of veterinary drugs and biologics, use WTO guidelines in the enforcement of guidelines.

It is also aimed at controlling intra-community movement of veterinary drugs and biologics and supervise and control the manufacture, wholesale distribution of veterinary drugs and biologics among other benefits.

Ranking Member of the Committee, Eric Opoku emphasis the need for Ghana to harmonise local regulations in order to ensure well-resourced laboratories and produce quality veterinary drugs.

The report called for the resourcing of the Ghana veterinary services directorate to perform its duty well.

By: Christian Kpesese/ thePublisher