Bawumia backs scrapping of proposed pre-shipment inspection for imported cars

New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has backed calls to abolish Ghana’s proposed pre-shipment inspection regime for imported vehicles, following a meeting with the leadership of the Vehicles and Assets Dealers Union of Ghana (VADUG).

The proposed policy, designed to verify that imported vehicles meet Ghana’s safety and technical standards before shipment, has drawn concerns from vehicle dealers over the additional costs it could impose on importers and consumers.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 28, Dr Bawumia said the inspection requirement was among the key issues discussed during his engagement with VADUG, adding that both sides agreed it should be scrapped.

The meeting formed part of his stakeholder consultations aimed at identifying challenges facing the vehicle trade and exploring policy measures to address them.

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) had planned to introduce the pre-shipment inspection requirement under its Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme.

Under the proposed arrangement, used vehicles would have been inspected in their countries of origin before being shipped to Ghana to establish whether they complied with applicable safety and technical standards.

The proposed inspection fees ranged from US$200 to US$300 per vehicle, depending on the country of origin.

The GSA suspended implementation of the regime in October 2026 following concerns surrounding its introduction and indicated that a new implementation date would be communicated.

Dr Bawumia’s position adds to calls for the proposed requirement to be abandoned. However, the suspension does not, by itself, mean the policy has been permanently cancelled.

Beyond the proposed inspection regime, discussions between Dr Bawumia and VADUG covered several challenges affecting vehicle importers and dealers.

These included high import duties and delays in clearing vehicles at Ghana’s ports, which dealers say affect the cost and efficiency of doing business.

The group also raised concerns about access to credit from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank), highlighting the need for financing options to support businesses in the vehicle trade.

Another issue discussed was the enforcement of laws intended to protect Ghanaian retailers from what the dealers consider unfair competition from foreign businesses.

The concerns reflect wider issues around the cost of importing goods, access to business financing and the competitiveness of local enterprises.

Dr Bawumia described the meeting as fruitful and said representatives of both sides would continue engaging to develop specific policy proposals to address the challenges raised.

He said the discussions covered high import duties, port clearance delays, the proposed pre-shipment inspection requirement, access to EXIM Bank credit and enforcement of laws protecting Ghanaian retailers.

The planned follow-up discussions are expected to provide an opportunity to develop more detailed proposals for consideration.

The outcome of any proposed changes to the inspection regime or other vehicle-trade policies will depend on decisions by the relevant authorities.

The debate over pre-shipment inspection highlights the challenge of balancing vehicle safety and technical compliance with the cost of importing cars into Ghana.

While inspections before shipment are intended to help verify compliance with applicable standards, the proposed fees have raised concerns about additional expenses for importers and their potential impact on vehicle prices.

For vehicle dealers, the key issues include the final status of the proposed policy, the costs associated with importation and the measures available to support local businesses.

The GSA’s next announcement on the inspection regime will therefore be important in determining whether the proposal will be revised, rescheduled or abandoned.