The Vehicle and Asset Dealers Union of Ghana (VADUG) is urging the government to suspend the planned rollout of the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme for imported vehicles, warning that the policy should not proceed without broader stakeholder consultation.
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has scheduled the programme to take effect on October 1, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen quality assurance and prevent vehicles that fail to meet Ghana’s safety and technical standards from entering the local market.
The initiative is expected to require vehicle imports to undergo conformity assessment before shipment, a move aimed at improving vehicle safety, protecting consumers and enhancing regulatory compliance.
However, VADUG argues that the implementation timeline is premature and risks creating uncertainty for importers if industry concerns are not adequately addressed.
Speaking to Citi Business News, the General Secretary of VADUG, Frank Kofigah Atanley, called on the Ghana Standards Authority to suspend the implementation and engage more extensively with key stakeholders across the automotive import value chain.
“If we want to use an agency of state to somehow frustrate a market, I think it begs more questions than answers. A lot of people are going to lose jobs if we are not careful with this implementation. And as VADAC, we are calling the Standards Board to hold on. We are asking them to put a halt on this. There are a lot of safety questions that need to be answered”, he said.
According to him, broader consultations are necessary to address operational concerns, clarify implementation procedures and ensure the new regulatory framework does not disrupt the vehicle import business.
The union maintains that while it supports measures to improve vehicle quality and consumer safety, reforms of this nature should be developed through collaboration with industry players to ensure a smooth and effective transition.
Story By: Nii Larte Lartey
