The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has urged those who import medicines into the country to comply with the regulations guiding importation.
He says the Mahama administration won’t tolerate expired drugs being dispensed in the country, while existing regulations ensure importers are supported when their drugs expire.
According to him, the laws allow for tax refunds on expired medicines when disposed of under the Food and Drug Authority’s (FDA) supervision.
The Minister was responding to a plea by the host of Onua TV’s morning show, Captain Smart, on Maakye Monday, August 4, 2025, when he made the comments. Smart had asked the Minister to ensure the importation of expired drugs into the country is curbed, citing previous incidents under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration where drugs imported into the country had expired.
In response, Minister Akandoh explained that the government’s reset agenda has impacted every sector, leading to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and its corresponding agencies stepping up efforts to prevent expired drugs from entering the country.
He cited an incident over the weekend where a tomato mix brand on the market was recalled due to the FDA’s vigilance as part of the reset agenda, which he says has impacted every sector of the economy.
Inasmuch as the government doesn’t intend to collapse anyone’s business, the Minister noted that his outfit will not sit idly by while people consume expired drugs and food items.
“The FDA has now upped its game. The reset agenda has affected all the agencies to up their game, so we’ll plead with you to do the right thing when importing medicines. We are not here to collapse anyone’s business, but we won’t allow anyone to harm Ghanaians. So we’ll plead with you to work according to the laws,” he said in Twi.
Akandoh continued that: “The government has a policy that if you dispose of your expired drugs, it gives you a tax rebate, so why should you sell expired drugs to people? To ensure that one doesn’t sell expired drugs to people, we have to encourage you to dispose of them under the supervision of the FDA, and we’ll give you a tax rebate.”
He further urged the media and the general public to always give the Ministry a heads-up whenever they suspect something fishy with regards to food production and drugs, so the appropriate authorities can take action.
“Whenever you get any hint, kindly alert us because we are working with you. We can’t be everywhere at the same time, so alert us when you hear something.”
