The Ministry of the Interior has issued a strict 45-day ultimatum to all companies and institutions involved in the cash-in-transit and bullion-van business to comply with new national guidelines.

The guidelines outline standards for the importation, retrofitting, usage and decommissioning of armoured bullion vehicles (ABVs) in Ghana.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, said the move followed an attack on a bullion van, which served as a national wake-up call on the need to protect lives and property. 

According to the minister, the new guidelines required that all ABVs brought into Ghana met approved safety standards, went through proper certification, and were retrofitted only at authorised centres. 

They set rules for how the vehicles should be operated and maintained, including safety procedures, crew training, tracking and communication systems, and regular inspections to ensure compliance. 

He also outlined standards for modifying vehicles, such as the level of armour and equipment installation, and provided clear steps for safely decommissioning or retiring vehicles that were no longer fit for use. 

He added that the guidelines were designed to make cash-transport vehicles safer, properly certified, and closely monitored.

He revealed that as part of the implementation plan, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) C.T. Yohuno had been tasked to form an enforcement unit to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines. This enforcement unit is expected to report to the implementation committee, which has been properly constituted with representatives from the security and intelligence agencies, the Bank of Ghana (BoG), and the Ministry of the Interior.