Before buying a used-car from a foreign country you should check the new Ugandan government laws about the importation of second-hand cars. Indeed, you might be able to avoid bad surprises !
What's new ? When asking to import your new car you will have to check if your vehicle is complying the new pre-import inspection standards. The new rules are being more rigorous; with the new regulation US845 the vehicles have to fulfill safety and displays specificities. This new standard implies an inspection process that aimes to prove that the car is roadwothy.
What's changed for exporter ? They will have to book an inspection to designated companies in order to get the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PEVoC) certificate.
Why these new rules ? According to the government, this new regulation is an direct impact of the growing demand of the Ugandan population to have more certifications on used-car importations. It is also a way to give a guideline on how a vehicle should be inspect in order to guarantee its roadworthiness.
One detail is not to be forgotten though. Indeed, the validity of the PEVoC document will only last one year. After this duration, if a car owner wants to prove the roadworthiness of his car, he will have to pay for a new inspection.
As the new standard is still on trial, we will have to wait a little longer before having it considered as a national standard. As the second-hand cars importations count for at least 80% of the cars in Uganda it will have a huge impact in the whole country.
A global action; all East African countries have decided to apply stricter regulations on these used-car importations as many cars are sold within these countries. By a global action these countries are making sure the regulations are effective and that nobody will have the idea to play with the laws of each government.
