In a recent engagement with members of the Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential flagbearer, confirmed that he will abolish the proposed $300 importation certificate fee for used vehicles if the party returns to power in the 2028 general elections.
The policy, which had been suspended after opposition from the business community, was intended to add a mandatory Pre‑shipment Verification and Inspection (PSVI) step for all imported used cars. Critics argued the fee would inflate costs for importers and ultimately burden consumers.
Ranking Member Michael Okyere Baafi of Parliament’s Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee relayed Bawumia’s pledge to GUTA delegates, stating that the NPP considers the inspection regime unnecessary and will abandon it entirely if elected.
Okyere Baafi added that the policy could be reintroduced later, but the NPP would need to clarify its stance before the next elections. He noted that the suspension of the fee might lead to its return, but assured that under an NPP administration the fee would not reappear.
"Where are they going to get money to even pay import duties when they come? The final consumer is now going to suffer because all this cost will be transferred to the consumer when you buy the car, and that is the problem we are raising," Okyere Baafi said.
With the policy now officially scrapped by the NPP, trade groups expect a more business‑friendly environment for used‑car importers and consumers alike. The next steps will involve formalizing the decision in Parliament and ensuring the policy’s removal is reflected in the 2028 electoral platform.
