New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has backed calls to scrap the 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, which is intended to ensure that imported vehicles meet Ghana’s safety and technical standards before shipment, has raised concerns among industry players over its potential impact on the cost of importing cars.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday October 28, Dr Bawumia said the proposed inspection requirement was among the key issues discussed, adding that both sides agreed it should be abolished.

The meeting formed part of his stakeholder consultations to identify challenges confronting the vehicle trade and explore possible policy measures to address them.

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) had planned to introduce the pre-shipment inspection regime under its Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme, requiring used vehicles to be inspected in their countries of origin before being shipped to Ghana.

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

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

Beyond the inspection policy, Dr Bawumia said the discussions with VADUG also covered high import duties and delays in clearing vehicles at the ports.

Access to credit from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) was another issue raised, alongside calls for stronger enforcement of laws to protect Ghanaian retailers from unfair competition from foreign businesses.

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

“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.