The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), on Friday, July 31, 2026, engaged members of the media on the implementation and enforcement of Ghana’s new automotive safety and conformity requirements for imported used vehicles under the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Programme.
The PVoC programme, which is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026, will require all used vehicles imported into Ghana to comply with GS 4510:2022 – the national standard for used imported vehicles – prior to shipment from the country of origin.
The engagement, which forms part of the Authority’s efforts to prevent the importation of sub-standard, damaged and unsafe vehicles into the country, assembled journalists, bloggers and media practitioners from various media houses.
Under this new regime, accredited third-party inspection agencies will verify that vehicles meet Ghana’s prescribed safety, quality and environmental requirements before export.
Addressing the media, the Deputy Director-General in charge of General Services, Mr. Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite, stated that the implementation of the programme stems from an extensive stakeholder consultation and has received broad industry support.
He further stated that the initiative seeks to address long-standing challenges associated with the importation of unsafe and damaged vehicles into the country.
“We are trying to plug a major loophole where waste, especially from the automotive industry, comes into our country as a dumping ground. That practice, which is killing our people and causing environmental hazards, will now become a thing of the past,” he stated.
Mr. Jabanyite announced that, in addition to the PVoC programme, the Authority will introduce the Vehicle Dealer Information System (VEDIS) to enhance the detection of stolen vehicles and strengthen collaboration among institutions involved in vehicle importation and registration.
According to him, VEDIS will integrate data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), insurance companies, Interpol, National Security and the GSA into a single digital platform, enabling real-time verification of vehicle records and improving the efficiency of regulatory oversight.
The engagement also featured a presentation by Mr. Kingsley Domena Yeboah, staff from the Vehicle and Homologation Unit. He outlined the implementation roadmap for the programme and explained that all used vehicles destined for Ghana will be required to undergo inspection and obtain a valid Certificate of Conformance before shipment from the exporting country.
He further indicated that Certificates of Conformance may be issued by approved third-party inspection bodies or through trained and licensed used vehicle dealerships operating under the programme.
The meeting ended with an interactive session during which the journalists sought clarification on various aspects of the programme and made their recommendations known to the Authority’s management.