Accra, Aug. 6, GNA – The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) will enforce mandatory compliance with national vehicle standards for all imported vehicles from October 1, 2026.
The Authority urged manufacturers, assemblers, importers, distributors and dealers to familiarise themselves with the applicable requirements and ensure compliance before shipping vehicles into Ghana.
The directive was contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the GSA and copied to the Ghana News Agency.
The statement said the enforcement would cover the applicable national vehicle standards, including Ghana Standard 4510 (GS 4510 – Requirements for the Importation of Used Vehicles).
It said the GSA National Vehicle Homologation and Conformity Assessment Programme, which has been operational since 2020, was established to ensure that all vehicles imported into, assembled or manufactured in Ghana comply with national safety, quality and environmental standards.
The statement said the programme also seeks to protect consumers from unsafe, substandard and environmentally harmful vehicles while promoting a safer, cleaner and more regulated automotive industry.
“All new vehicle manufacturers and assemblers, as well as used vehicle importers, distributors and dealers, are required to register with the GSA and ensure that all new vehicle models are homologated while all used vehicle units conform to the applicable standards before shipment to Ghana,” it said.
The statement said vehicles that did not meet the prescribed requirements would not be permitted for importation into the country upon arrival.
“It is worth noting that this does not constitute a ban on the importation of used vehicles,” the statement said.
Mr Kingsley Domena Yeboah, a Standards Officer at the GSA, told the Ghana News Agency that a well-developed automotive industry could reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported vehicles.
He said this would encourage local assembly and manufacturing, improve public transport efficiency and strengthen standards.
Mr Yeboah said research showed that Ghana imported more than 90 per cent used vehicles and about 10 per cent new vehicles.
He said the country imported significant numbers of pre-owned, accident, flooded, burnt, right-hand drive and overaged vehicles.
Mr Yeboah said about 90 per cent of used vehicles imported into the country did not have after-sales service support, a situation he described as a challenge to the growth of the electric vehicle market.
The statement said the Ghana Standards Authority Act, 2022 (Act 1078), empowers the Authority to establish, promulgate and maintain standards to ensure the quality of goods and services imported for local consumption.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth sackey
6 Aug. 2026
Caption pictures attached
Reporter: Kodjo Adams