Former Deputy Trade Minister Michael Okyere Baafi has stated that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia would scrap the Ghana Standards Authority's (GSA) mandatory pre-shipment vehicle inspection policy if he wins the 2028 presidential election. Okyere Baafi made this claim on Metro TV's Good Afternoon Ghana programme. He argued that the policy places an unnecessary financial burden on vehicle importers that would eventually be passed on to ordinary Ghanaians buying used cars.
The policy in question was introduced under the GSA's Pre-Shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC) and FlexiPass arrangement. This system requires used vehicles bound for Ghana to be inspected by approved agents in their country of origin before shipment. Vehicles are checked against Ghana Standard GS 4510, which covers structural, flood, and fire damage, among other safety conditions. The policy also enforces age limits on imported used vehicles.
The policy was scheduled to begin on 1 October 2026, but within days, the GSA suspended the exercise following pushback from importers and dealers. No new start date has been announced. Parliament's Minority had separately urged the GSA to abandon the associated $300 verification fee altogether. Okyere Baafi argued that this charge would add to the costs already weighing on vehicle importers at Ghana's ports.
Under the proposed fee structure, importers were expected to pay between US$200 and US$300 per vehicle, depending on the country of export. Okyere Baafi questioned whether a fresh inspection layer was necessary, suggesting existing mechanisms could instead be strengthened to tackle concerns such as stolen vehicles entering the country.
The GSA has defended the policy as a consumer-protection measure meant to keep unsafe, damaged, or substandard vehicles out of the Ghanaian market and to support a more regulated automotive sector. This leaves an open disagreement over whether mandatory pre-shipment checks and their associated fees are the right tool, or whether the objective can be met some other way.
According to Okyere Baafi, Dr. Bawumia would move to kill the policy within his first ten days in office if elected president in 2028, placing it among his earliest priorities. The GSA has not said when or whether the suspended inspection exercise will resume, meaning the policy's near-term fate remains unresolved.
The debate over the policy's long-term future continues, with the GSA and Okyere Baafi holding differing views on the matter. The outcome of this debate will likely have significant implications for vehicle importers and consumers in Ghana.
Key points
- Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia may abolish the GSA's pre-shipment vehicle inspection policy if elected president in 2028.
- The policy has been suspended due to pushback from importers and dealers.
- The GSA defends the policy as a consumer-protection measure.
