Ghana: Energy Commission Exposes Importers Of Used Electrical Appliances

Ghana’s technical electricity regulator, Energy Commission (EC), has denied claims by Concerned Importers of Used Electrical Appliances against the Commission on the intended imposition of a ban on used appliances.

According to the Energy Commission, claims by the group that their meeting with the Commission ended inconclusively are inaccurate.

The Commission also rejected claims by the group that used appliances are energy efficient and more durable than new ones.

The Commission said it is equally shocked that the group misunderstood what the use of the term ‘dumping’ means.

It would be recalled that last Wednesday, the Concerned Importers of Used Appliances at a press conference, addressed by Daniel Asare accused Energy Commission of trying to throw hundreds of people who engage in the sale of used appliances out of job by its intended imposition of a ban on the importation of used appliances.

“We tried to meet them through the Trade Ministry which the Ministry assured us to hold a meeting between the Energy Commission, the Energy Ministry and us on the same matter but the meeting has not been held,” he said.

However, the Commission, in a statement issued, denied all the claims made by the group.

According to the Commission, it had a very productive and conclusive meeting with the National Executives of GUTA, of which the Concerned Importers of Used Electrical Appliances are members, on October 6, 2021.

The Commission explained that “at the said meeting, the rationale of the ban and the effect of the used appliances on the national economy, consumers, the environment and the appliance market as a whole was explained to them.”

The Commission said the group misconstrued or misunderstood the use of the terminology ‘dumping’ and, therefore, defined ‘dumping as the practice of exporting to another country or territory products that: contain hazardous substances, have environmental performance lower than is in the interest of consumers or that is contrary to the interests of the local and global

commons; and can undermine the ability of the importing country to fulfill international environmental treaty commitments; or are often too inefficient to sell in the appliances markets of the countries of manufacture or their export inflicts economic, social, and environmental costs on vulnerable populations in the receiving countries.’

The Commission said it is disappointed by the attempt by the group to discredit the health implications of used appliances when a recent study at Agbogbloshie a suburb of Accra, Ghana’s capital, revealed that children living in and around the area, which is known for the sale of used appliances, suffer from upper respiratory diseases, have high lead content in their blood and have low life expectancy rate.

It added that recently, a newly published research by the Francis Crick Institute with Cancer Research UK also revealed how air pollution can cause lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked in their lives.

“This is the sad threat we are exposing our citizens to and we must wake up to this global call and safeguard the health of citizens, especially our children, to whom the future belongs,” the commission said.

“Nobody discounts the claim that importation of used appliances provides jobs for a section of Ghanaians. However, the development should be sustainable to ensure socio-economic development while maintaining environmental integrity. Turning one’s country into a junkyard cannot lead to sustainable development, regardless of the jobs that it creates,” the statement explained.

Last year, the Parliament of Ghana passed Energy Efficiency and Standards Regulations 2022 and the Commission gave a one-year moratorium which will expire in November 2023.

This means that after the end of November 2023, it would be illegal for any importer to attempt to import certain used appliances to Ghana.

Among the appliances, as the Commission is banning, are microwaves, rice cookers, air-conditioners, set-top boxes, water heaters, ventilation fans, distribution transformers, industrial fans, watch washing machines, electric kettles and electric motors.

The Energy Commission said Ghanaians must be aware that Europe has passed stringent environmental laws that make the disposal of obsolete appliances expensive and are, therefore, always on the lookout for countries that do not have environmental laws or have weak enforcement of their environmental laws and ship all the junk to them.

The Energy Commission said it has the mandate to fulfill the Act that established it by ensuring the efficient utilization of indigenous energy resources and “that is exactly what we are doing.

“Our intention is a far cry from what the group wants Ghanaians to believe,” it said.

ENERGY COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE – IMPORTATION BAN_012023

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com