Beginning January 1, 2023 all used vehicles imported into the country need to be accompanied by a valid Certificate of Conformance (CoC) from an approved body, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the GSA said the certificate must demonstrate conformance of the used vehicle to requirements of the Ghana Standard for used vehicles GS 4510:2022 Road vehicles - Requirements for imported used motor vehicles
This is in line with Customs (Amendment) Act 2020, Section 61 of Act 891 amended and related legislation.
"Enforcement of this aspect of the law shall ensure improved safety, quality and asset value of used vehicles imported into Ghana, while sustaining the value chain of the used vehicle industry," the GSA said.
It said Certificates of Conformance could be obtained from approved third-party inspection bodies or through trained and licensed used vehicle dealerships.
An updated list of approved inspection bodies and licensed used vehicle dealerships with contact details shall be provided on the website of the Authority.
The Authority wishes to take this opportunity to remind all importers and assemblers of new vehicles to register with the Authority and ensure that vehicle models imported or assembled are homologated (certified) by the Authority in line with the relevant Ghana Standards for new vehicles of categories M1 (Passenger cars and SUVs), M2 (Minibuses), and N1 (Pickups and cargo vans).
New vehicles of models not homologated (certified) by the Authority shall not be permitted for importation from 1st January 2023, it added.
It urged the public to contact the GSA Auto Team for information on vehicle standards, new vehicle distributor registration and used vehicle dealership licensing.