GIBA DENIES SIGNING DOCUMENT ON DIRECTIVE ON ADVERTISEMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

The attention of the Executive Council of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has been drawn to a publication by www.ghanaweb.com on 12 January 2018, titled; “FDA to descend heavily on offenders flouting its directive”. In the said publication, it was reported that Mr. James Lartey, the Head of Communications and Public Education of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) had told the Ghana News Agency that the Ghana Independence Broadcasters Association was among other stakeholders who had supported the directive on the advertisement of alcoholic beverages and that “all the stakeholders signed a communique to pledge their unflinching support to the directive”.

The Executive Council of GIBA would like to categorically state that, no meeting has taken place to specifically discuss restrictions on alcohol advertisement and that no communiqué had been received by the National Secretariat after the said meeting which took place on 31 October 2017. The stakeholders’ meeting held on that day was to deliberate on issues related to airing of illegal advertisements in the media and issues of herbal based alcoholic beverages was also discussed. The discussions held was not to place any restrictions on the airing time of these adverts but rather that media houses should ensure to broadcast adverts that were only approved by the FDA and failure to abide by this would mean the station would have flouted the directive.

In spite of several follow-up calls made to the FDA, GIBA has still not received the said communiqué.
GIBA therefore takes exception to the assertion by the Head of Communications and Public Education of the FDA that GIBA has signed a communiqué and hereby challenge the FDA to produce any document(s) with signatures of the person(s) from GIBA, who signed the communiqué to mean a pledge in support to the directive.

Further to these developments, GIBA has in a letter requested for an urgent meeting with the Food and Drugs Authority to discuss issues pertaining to the directive. We believe the FDA will consider the developing issues and take the necessary steps in the interest of our mutual co-existence.