Bawumia backs calls to abolish proposed vehicle pre-shipment inspection regime

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has thrown his support behind calls to abolish the proposed pre-shipment inspection requirement for imported vehicles following discussions with the leadership of the Vehicles and Assets Dealers Union of Ghana (VADUG).

The proposed measure, designed to ensure that imported vehicles comply with Ghana’s safety and technical standards before being shipped into the country, has faced opposition from industry stakeholders concerned about the additional cost of importing cars.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 28, Dr Bawumia said the planned inspection regime was among several concerns raised during his meeting with VADUG, adding that both parties agreed the policy should be scrapped.

The engagement formed part of his consultations with industry stakeholders to identify challenges facing vehicle dealers and consider possible policy interventions.

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) had proposed introducing the requirement under its Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme, which would have compelled used vehicles to undergo inspection in their countries of origin before shipment to Ghana.

The proposed charges ranged from US$200 to US$300 per vehicle, depending on the country from which the vehicle was being imported.

However, the GSA suspended the implementation of the policy in October 2026 following concerns about its introduction, indicating that a new commencement date would be announced.

Import duties and port delays also raised

Dr Bawumia said the meeting also addressed high import duties and delays in clearing vehicles at Ghana’s ports, which dealers identified as major challenges affecting their operations.

The availability of credit from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) also featured in the discussions, alongside concerns about the need to enforce existing laws to protect Ghanaian retailers from unfair competition by foreign businesses.

He described the engagement as productive and said further consultations would be held to develop specific policy proposals to address the concerns raised by the union.

“The challenges discussed included high import duties and delays in port clearance, the intended introduction of pre-shipment inspection of cars (which we agreed should be abolished), access to credit from EXIM bank, and the enforcement of laws to protect the Ghanaian retailers from unfair competition from foreign retailers,” he said.