By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Vehicle Asset Dealers Union of Ghana (VADUG) has raised strong objections to the newly announced enforcement date for the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme.
According to the leadership of VADUG, the timeline set by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is premature and could trigger severe economic disruptions for local businesses.
The protest follows an official announcement by the GSA, which set October 1, 2026, as the official commencement date for the strict enforcement of automotive safety and conformity requirements under national standard GS4510:2022.
Under the impending directive, all used motor vehicles heading to Ghana must undergo rigorous safety and emissions inspections to obtain a valid Certificate of Conformance (CoC) before they leave their country of export.
The regulation bans vehicles more than 10 years old from the date of manufacture, salvage vehicles with severely damaged chassis, vehicles with significant flood or fire damage, right-hand-drive vehicles originally manufactured for right-hand traffic, and vehicles without speedometers calibrated in kilometres per hour.
The GSA says the policy is intended to prevent Ghana from becoming a dumping ground for hazardous automotive waste while improving road safety and protecting the environment.
While acknowledging the long-term intent of improving road safety, VADUG argues that the October deadline allows less than two months for the entire automotive import supply chain to adjust.
According to VADUG representatives, enforcing a pre-export testing regime through third-party inspectors on such short notice leaves overseas suppliers, logistics operators, and local dealerships completely unprepared.
The union noted that many importers already have vehicles purchased and transit structures locked in that will arrive past the deadline, creating immense operational and financial uncertainty.
VADUG is warning that without an extended grace period and deeper stakeholder engagement, the current plan could disrupt shipments, cause massive clearance delays at the ports, and drive up the cost of affordable transport options for everyday Ghanaians.
The union has urgently appealed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the leadership of the Ghana Standards Authority to suspend the October 1 launch and collaborate on a phased, transparent roll-out schedule.
