The Ghana Standards Authority has announced that its Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme for imported used vehicles will come into force on October 1, 2026, introducing stringent new rules that will block a wide category of unsafe vehicles from entering the country.
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 ofexport. Accredited third-party inspectors appointed by the GSA will carry out the assessments on the authority’s behalf.
Vehicles that will be banned
Under GS 4510, the following categories of vehicles will be refused entry entirely:
· Vehicles older than 10 years — calculated from the year of manufacture, meaning that for vehicles arriving in 2026, only 2016 models or newer will be permitted
· Vehicles submerged in floodwater or damaged by fire
· Vehicles with structural damage to the chassis or safety cage, including broken, cracked, bent or twisted frames
· Originally manufactured right-hand-drive vehicles
· Vehicles assembled from spare parts
· Vehicles without speedometers calibrated in kilometres per hour
“Plugging a major loophole”
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 plug a major loophole so that all the automotive waste coming into our country as a dumping ground, which is killing our people and creating environmental hazards, becomes a thing of the past.”
He stressed that the Authority would not compromise on major safety issues, though vehicles with repairable defects that can be made roadworthy upon arrival will still be permitted, with inspectors equipped and trained to make such determinations.
“We will not compromise on that. When cars are flooded, when they are burnt, these are things that we have set aside. But those things that can be replaced and make it road-worthy when they come to Ghana, we allow that.”
Mr Jabanyite noted that the initiative now enjoys broad stakeholder support despite initial resistance.
New digital system to combat stolen vehicles
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), GSA, insurance providers, Interpol, and the National Security Secretariat — to enable real-time verification of imported vehicles and prevent the registration of stolen vehicles.
“VEDIS is going to build a network that will connect all these systems and provide information to users in real time. So basically, when we develop this system and it is working, it is going to ensure that vehicle theft is curbed and only vehicles that are roadworthy are allowed into the country,” Mr Jabanyite explained.
Expected benefits
The GSA expects the PVoC programme to:
· Prevent the importation of substandard and unsafe vehicles
· Ensure compliance with Ghana’s safety and environmental requirements
· Improve the quality and safety of imported vehicles
· Provide greater value for money for consumers
· Support the formalisation of the domestic used-vehicle industry
· Improve access to vehicle financing
· Increase investor confidence in the sector
Background: From penalties to outright ban
Previously, vehicles older than 10 years could still be imported but attracted overage penalties — 12.5 per cent of the CIF value for vehicles between 10 and 12 years old, 20 per cent for those between 12 and 15 years, and up to 50 per cent or forced return for vehicles over 15 years. Under the new regime taking effect October 1, such vehicles will no longer be permitted at all.
The PVoC programme is a major initiative by the GSA to ensure that regulated imported used vehicles meet Ghana’s quality, safety, health and environmental standards before they are shipped to Ghana. The authority has repeatedly stressed that standards protect consumers by ensuring products are safe, reliable and fit for purpose.
