Help check unethical practices in advertising – Haruna tasks AAG

Story: Charles Benoni Okine

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has called on the Advertisers Association of Ghana (AAG) to help check what he described as the “unethical practices” by some its members.

“Sometimes we see adverts on billboards that are completely misleading and unacceptable because they insult the sensibilities of the people either culturally or religiously”, he said.

Mr Iddrisu made the call when a high-powered delegation from the AAG paid a courtesy call on him at his office at the Ministries in Accra.

The call afforded the members of the association to present a draft copy of a proposed bill of the regulation of advertising practice in the country.

The bill when passed is meant to ensure that the practice of advertising in the country is fully regulated to stop unethical practices within the profession which is said to be having a negative impact on society.

Mr Iddrisu said the government is concerned about the challenges that the association faced in terms of trying to ensure sanity among practitioners and “will do all it can to ensure that those challenges are surmounted”.

He said the proposed draft bill of the association will carefully studied at the government level before a decision is finally made on it.

“On the personal level, I think this is good because of the positive impact it will have on the industry and so I will do my best to see how it will adopted and accepted by all”, he said.

The President of the association, Mrs Norkor Duah, on her part said the association is poised to ensure strict adherence to laid-down rules in the industry.

“The advertising practice has enormous impact on the development of the country and therefore, we want to see it governed by rules, hence the bill.

She expressed the hope that the government will consider its passage in due course to enable practitioners discharge the obligations under the law.