The Uganda Nation Bureau of Standards started a program recently according to which each used car importer should pass Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVoC). The importers are protesting against this program due to the fact that every imported vehicle should pass the quality assessment test. This strict check is conducted by any of the three assessment entities decided by the contracted firms.
The program was initiated by the end of last year and it is still active which is not appreciated by most of the Importers in Uganda, the protest was severe since they closed their closed their offices until any relaxation will be shown by the authorities. One of the importers shared his views with the media that the Used Cars importers are already paying around $140 on inspection while importing cars (http://www.sbtjapan.com/) and 15% of the car’s price is paid in terms of insurance and freight to the UNBS which is doing a hole in their pocket.
The issue raised by the importers are due to the conflict that they should not be asked to pay the additional charges when they are already paying for the inspection fee.