DVLA to manufacture own number plates, ending third-party reliance

The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA) in Ghana is embarking on a significant transformation by establishing its own number plate manufacturing center in Accra. This move signals an end to the authority's dependence on third-party suppliers and imported plates, aiming to enhance security and quality control.

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The sod that has been cut today demonstrates the government's commitment to reposition the DVLA as a key institution in the road transport sector.

The new manufacturing center, to be housed at the Greater Accra Regional office, is scheduled for completion within three months. It will produce number plates equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The DVLA's Chief Executive Officer, Julius Neequaye Kortey, emphasized that this initiative is a key component of the DVLA's broader reform agenda to reposition itself as a modern, self-reliant state institution.

Kortey stated that the operationalization of the center will ensure a steady supply of high-quality number plates and combat the proliferation of counterfeit plates in the system. He added that manufacturing plates in-house would allow for better distribution to DVLA offices across the country, bringing the service closer to the public. Regions will receive embossment machines, with Greater Accra and Ashanti receiving multiple units due to higher vehicle volumes.

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When we manufacture our plates, we will distribute them to our offices for embossment.

While acknowledging concerns about the livelihoods of private embossers, Kortey clarified that the DVLA's decision is not intended to eliminate them. Instead, the authority will regulate embossers to ensure they adhere to quality standards. The era of unregulated plate manufacturing and embossing is over, with the DVLA asserting control to guarantee the integrity of vehicle identification in Ghana.

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What we are saying is that the era where anyone gets the means to manufacture or emboss number plates is a thing of the past. DVLA will regulate embossers to do things right.