The Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Manso Opuni, has raised concerns over poor remuneration at the Authority, warning that low salaries are pushing many skilled professionals to quit their jobs.
Speaking at the FDA’s 2024 Annual Stakeholder Meeting on Wednesday, August 20, under the theme “Improving Productivity and Efficiency Through Digitalisation and Staff Commitment,” Prof. Opuni described FDA staff as among the lowest paid in the country.
“FDA staff are among the worst-paid workers in Ghana. They are not properly compensated under the single spine. Last year alone, about 48 left for better-paying jobs in well-resourced organisations. Over the past five years, more than 67 have resigned due to poor conditions of service,” he disclosed.
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The meeting brought together stakeholders from the Ministries of Finance and Health, exporters, importers, and community leaders to deliberate on strategies to strengthen productivity and protect public health.
Presenting updates on regulatory activities, Afua Amoako-Mensah, Head of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the FDA, revealed that the Authority is stepping up enforcement of food safety regulations under its Street Food Vending Permit Scheme.
“In the year under review, we trained 3,510 food vendors and issued 1,094 permits. However, many vendors failed to complete the process by securing health certificates despite repeated follow-ups,” she said.
She added that the FDA is also working closely with border security agencies to clamp down on non-compliant products entering the country, stressing the Authority’s commitment to safeguarding consumer health.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem