By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak announced on Thursday the rollout of new national guidelines to regulate the importation, retrofitting, usage, and decommissioning of Armored Bullion Vehicles (ABVs) across Ghana.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Accra, the minister observed that the guidelines and standards cover the importation requirements and certification processes, operational and maintenance standards, procedures for inspection, testing, and compliance monitoring, personnel qualifications, specifications for retrofitting and modification, safe and proper decommissioning of the ABVs, and recovery and redundancy strategy for contingency scenarios.
The guidelines and standards are to be enforced alongside the Standard Operating Procedures on ABVs by the Ghana Police Service and the Bank of Ghana.
As a first step towards enforcing them, the Ministry of the Interior has issued a 45-day notice, effective Monday, December 8, 2025, to Monday, January 21, 2026, within which period all financial institutions and entities in the cash-in-transit (CIT) business with soft-skinned vehicles are to park them immediately and proceed to apply for the necessary clearance for retrofitting of the said vehicles at a certified retrofitting center.
The directive, according to the minister, is part of the government’s efforts to curb recurrent attacks on cash-in-transit (CIT) operations and strengthen public safety in the financial logistics sector.
Within this period, financial institutions using soft-skinned vehicles must “park them immediately and proceed to apply for the necessary clearance for retrofitting.”
All CIT/bullion operators must “cease operations henceforth and proceed to register and acquire the needed licenses and certification.”
All companies engaged in retrofitting ABVs must also halt operations and seek certification from the ministry.
After the 45 days, the minister warned, “There shall be nationwide enforcement and full implementation… including taking legal action and applying sanctions against those who breach the directives.”
The Interior Minister revealed that the IGP has already been instructed to establish a dedicated Enforcement Unit that will monitor compliance and report to an Implementation Committee comprising security agencies, the Bank of Ghana, and the Ghana Gold Board.
He said the move underscores the government’s resolve to safeguard lives, insisting that there will be no leniency for institutions that disregard the new rules.
“Non-compliance… will not be tolerated,” he cautioned. “Any organization or individual found violating these guidelines will attract administrative sanctions… and possible prosecution.”
The Interior Minister announced that Ghana has now introduced comprehensive national standards covering every stage of bullion-van operations.
The guidelines include:
Importation requirements and certification processes
Operational and maintenance standards, including crew training and vehicle tracking
Inspection, testing, and compliance monitoring
Retrofitting and modification requirements
Decommissioning procedures
Recovery and redundancy strategies
He emphasized that the standards will be strictly enforced by the Ghana Police Service and the Bank of Ghana.
“These Guidelines and Standards shall strictly be enforced by the Ghana Police Service and the Bank of Ghana,” he stressed.
The minister acknowledged that the guidelines were developed through extensive collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including the Ghana Police Service, Ministry of Finance, Customs Division of the GRA, Ghana Gold Board, Ghana Association of Banks, and private CIT operators.
He commended the stakeholders for their contribution and reiterated that the government remains fully committed to enhancing public trust in the secure movement of money and valuables nationwide. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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