Ghana Standards Authority Sets October 2026 Deadline for Used Vehicle Import Inspections

• The Ghana Standards Authority announced October 1, 2026, as the enforcement date for a new pre-export inspection programme for imported used vehicles
• The PVoC programme will bar flood-damaged, fire-damaged, and over-aged vehicles from entering Ghana before they leave the exporting country
• The GSA also plans to launch a new digital system called VEDIS to connect national databases and help stop stolen vehicles from being registered in Ghana

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has announced that its Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme for imported used vehicles will come into force on October 1, 2026.

The programme requires all used vehicles destined for Ghana to be inspected against GS 4510, the national standard governing used vehicle imports, before they are shipped from the country of export.

Citi News reported that third-party inspectors appointed by the GSA will carry out the assessments on the authority's behalf.

Under GS 4510, a defined category of vehicles will be refused entry into Ghana entirely.

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These include vehicles that have been submerged in floodwater or damaged by fire, as well as those with structural damage to the chassis or safety cage, such as broken, cracked, bent or twisted frames. The standard further prohibits originally manufactured right-hand-drive vehicles, vehicles assembled from spare parts, those without speedometers calibrated in kilometres per hour, and vehicles more than 10 years old.

Deputy Director-General in charge of General Services at the GSA, Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite, said the programme is aimed at closing a significant gap in how vehicles enter the country.

"We are trying to pluck a major loophole that all the waste, especially when it comes to the automotive industry, coming into our country as a dumping ground and that will be killing our people and causing environmental hazard to us, will now be a turn of the past," he said at a stakeholder engagement.

He added that vehicles with replaceable faults that can be made roadworthy on arrival will still be permitted, with inspectors equipped and trained to make such determinations.

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Alongside the PVoC rollout, the GSA intends to introduce the Vehicle Dealer Information System (VEDIS), a digital platform designed to link the databases of multiple agencies, including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Standards Authority, insurance providers, Interpol, and the National Security Secretariat.

Honda CR-V clearing costs at Ghana Port

Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that the Honda CR-V, a popular compact SUV among Ghanaian car buyers, had attracted attention over its estimated clearing cost at Ghana Port in 2026.

The rough figures had given importers a fair idea of how much they may need to prepare before shipping the vehicle, depending on the model year, engine size, trim, valuation, and charges.

Source: YEN.com.gh