SGS asks government to enforce re-inspection of bonded cars

Cars in a bond in Kampala. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Malik Umar, the Nice Motors managing director and founder member of Used Car Importers’ Association told Daily Monitor recently that it was important to subject the used cars to regular inspection to ensure of their road worthiness.

Kampala. Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), the company contracted to inspect used cars for road worthiness has asked government to enforce the 2016 Road Traffic Act if it is to reduce the amounts of money spent on accidents.
Addressing journalists in Namanve, Mukono District yesterday, Susan Nava the SGS communications manager, said the 2016 Road Traffic Act, provides for mandatory pre-shipment inspection of used cars before they are imported into the country.

This, she said, ensures that the imported cars conform to required standards and road worthy.
“The Act provides for mandatory inspection of vehicles before registration unfortunately the enforcement of the law is very weak,” she said, adding that motor vehicle inspection is a mandatory exercise that is established by law.

Last year Parliament directed that SGS stops its inspection activities, which according to Ms Nava affected the flow of their operation even as no formal communication had been sent to the company.
“We never received any communication [banning the inspection] from Parliament or the supervising ministry [Ministry of Works]. However, we have since experienced a slump in business because motor vehicle owners who had embraced the exercise, suddenly stopped,” she said.

While banning the inspection, MPs said this was another way of imposing indirect taxes on Ugandans who are already paying other taxes.
Malik Umar, the Nice Motors managing director and founder member of Used Car Importers’ Association told Daily Monitor recently that it was important to subject the used cars to regular inspection to ensure of their road worthiness.
This, he said, would be essential to check the wear and tear of some cars instead of government imposing a total ban on the importation of cars of a certain age.