The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has announced that it will begin enforcing the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme for all vehicle imports from October 1, 2026, in a move aimed at improving road safety and preventing Ghana from becoming a destination for substandard vehicles.The programme will require all used vehicles destined for Ghana to comply with GS 4510, the national standard governing the importation of used vehicles, before they are shipped from their country of origin.According to the GSA, the initiative is designed to prevent the importation of unsafe and substandard vehicles, ensure compliance with Ghana’s safety and environmental standards, improve traceability and protect consumers.Under the new regime, inspections will be carried out by accredited third-party inspectors based on the requirements of GS 4510.Vehicles that have sustained major structural damage will not be allowed into the country. These include vehicles that have been submerged in floodwater, damaged by fire, or have broken, cracked, bent or twisted chassis or safety cage structures.The standard also prohibits the importation of originally manufactured right-hand-drive vehicles, vehicles assembled from spare parts, vehicles without speedometers calibrated in kilometres per hour and vehicles that are more than 10 years old.The GSA believes the PVoC programme will improve the quality and safety of imported vehicles, provide better value for money for consumers and strengthen regulation within Ghana’s automotive industry.It also expects the programme to support the formalisation of the used-vehicle market, improve access to vehicle financing and boost investor confidence in the sector.Speaking to journalists after a stakeholder engagement, Deputy Director-General in charge of General Services at the GSA, Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite, said the programme now enjoys broad stakeholder support despite earlier resistance.“We are trying to plug a major loophole that all the waste, especially when it comes to the automotive industry, coming into our country as a dumping ground and that will be killing our people and causing environmental hazards to us, will now be a thing of the past,” he said.He stressed that while the Authority would not compromise on major safety issues, vehicles with repairable defects could still be imported if they met the required standards.“We will not compromise on that. When cars are flooded, when they are burnt, these are things that we have set aside. But those things that can be replaced and make it road-worthy when they come to Ghana, we allow that. So the third-party inspectors who will be doing this job on our behalf have all these things, and they have the capacity to undertake this,” Mr Jabanyite added.As part of efforts to strengthen oversight of the automotive sector, the GSA also announced plans to introduce the Vehicle Dealer Information System (VEDIS).The digital platform will integrate data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), insurance companies, Interpol, National Security and other institutions to enable real-time verification of imported vehicles.According to Mr Jabanyite, the system will help detect stolen vehicles before they are registered in Ghana while improving information sharing among key institutions.“What it simply means is that we are going to let systems speak with one another. DVLA has its data, GSA has its standards, insurance has its data, Interpol has its data and National Security has its data. VEDIS is going to build a network that will connect all these systems and provide information to users in real time,” he explained.“So basically, when we develop this system, and it is working, it is going to ensure that vehicle theft is curbed and only vehicles that are roadworthy are allowed into the country,” he added.The GSA says the combined implementation of the PVoC programme and VEDIS marks a significant step towards improving vehicle safety, strengthening consumer protection and enhancing regulation of Ghana’s vehicle import market.