Ghana Standards Authority sued over used vehicle import rules

Legal practitioner Alex Dodoo has filed a lawsuit against the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) at the Accra High Court, challenging the legality of new regulations restricting used vehicle imports.

The suit, filed through Dodoo & Partners, seeks to halt the enforcement of the National Vehicle Homologation and Conformity Assessment programme, which began on October 1, 2026. The GSA’s restrictions target vehicles deemed unsafe or unsuitable, including those with flood, fire, or structural damage, vehicles assembled from spare parts, and those older than 15 years. Other prohibited categories include vehicles lacking speedometers in kilometres per hour or those without a Certificate of Conformance from approved third-party bodies in their country of origin.

Mr. Dodoo argues that the GSA is enforcing these standards without the necessary legal instrument, contending that the authority to make such standards mandatory rests with the sector minister and must be published in the Gazette. The plaintiff is seeking a declaration that the enforcement is unlawful, a restraining order against the implementation of the August 2026 notices, and legal costs.